Word
hostility
Meanings
strong unfriendliness or anger toward someone; aggressive attitude or behavior
an unfriendly or threatening atmosphere in a place or situation
strong opposition or antagonism between groups or countries
Definition
Hostility is strong unfriendly or aggressive feeling or behavior toward someone or something.
Hostility refers to a clear lack of friendliness, often shown through anger, suspicion, or aggression. It can describe an atmosphere between people or groups, not just one person’s attitude. In many contexts, it means opposition that makes cooperation difficult.
Examples
- I sensed hostility the moment I walked into the room, so I kept my comments brief and focused.
- You can disagree firmly without hostility if you stay calm and address the argument rather than the person.
- He answered every question with quiet hostility, which made the discussion feel more like a confrontation than a debate.
- She tried to defuse the hostility between the departments by setting shared goals and clarifying responsibilities.
- They interpreted his silence as hostility, but he later explained that he was simply overwhelmed.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse "hostility" (unfriendly or aggressive attitude) with "hostile" (the adjective) and use the wrong word form in a sentence.
More at C1 level
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