hos·til·i·ty

(hŏ-stĭl′ĭ-tē)

n. pl. hos·til·i·ties

1. The state of being hostile; antagonism or enmity. See Synonyms at enmity.

a. A hostile act.

b. hostilities Acts of war; overt warfare.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

hostility

(hɒˈstɪlɪtɪ)

n, pl -ties

1. enmity or antagonism

2. an act expressing enmity or opposition

3. (Military) (plural) fighting; warfare

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

hos•til•i•ty

(hɒˈstɪl ɪ ti)

n., pl. -ties.

1. a hostile state or attitude.

2. a hostile act.

3. opposition or resistance to an idea, plan, etc.

4. hostilities,

a. acts of warfare.

b. war.

[1375–1425; < Latin]

hostility

1. a feeling or state of antagonism.
2. an expression or act of war. — hostile, adj.

See also: War

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	hostility - a hostile (very unfriendly) disposition; "he could not conceal his hostility" ill will unfriendliness - an unfriendly disposition virulence, virulency - extreme hostility; "the virulence of the malicious old man"
	2.	hostility - a state of deep-seated ill-will antagonism, enmity state - the way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state" latent hostility, tension - feelings of hostility that are not manifest; "he could sense her latent hostility to him"; "the diplomats' first concern was to reduce international tensions" state of war, war - a legal state created by a declaration of war and ended by official declaration during which the international rules of war apply; "war was declared in November but actual fighting did not begin until the following spring" cold war - a state of political hostility between countries using means short of armed warfare suspicion - the state of being suspected; "he tried to shield me from suspicion"
	3.	hostility - the feeling of a hostile person; "he could no longer contain his hostility" ill will, enmity hate, hatred - the emotion of intense dislike; a feeling of dislike so strong that it demands action animosity, animus, bad blood - a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility class feeling - feelings of envy and resentment of one social or economic class for toward another antagonism - an actively expressed feeling of dislike and hostility aggression, aggressiveness - a feeling of hostility that arouses thoughts of attack belligerence, belligerency - hostile or warlike attitude or nature bitterness, rancor, rancour, resentment, gall - a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
	4.	hostility - violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked aggression action - something done (usually as opposed to something said); "there were stories of murders and other unnatural actions" meat grinder - any action resulting in injury or destruction; "the meat grinder of politics destroyed his reputation"; "allied forces crumbled before the Wehrmacht meat grinder" violence, force - an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists); "he may accomplish by craft in the long run what he cannot do by force and violence in the short one" pillaging, plundering, pillage - the act of stealing valuable things from a place; "the plundering of the Parthenon"; "his plundering of the great authors"

hostility

noun

1. unfriendliness, hatred, animosity, spite, bitterness, malice, venom, antagonism, enmity, abhorrence, malevolence, detestation She looked at Ron with open hostility.
unfriendliness goodwill, friendliness, amity, cordiality, sympathy, congeniality

2. opposition, resentment, antipathy, aversion, antagonism, ill feeling, bad blood, ill-will, animus hostility among traditionalists to this method of teaching history
opposition agreement, approval

plural noun

1. warfare, war, fighting, conflict, combat, armed conflict, state of war Military chiefs agreed to cease hostilities throughout the country.
warfare peace, alliance, treaty, ceasefire, truce

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

hostility

noun

1. Warlike or hostile attitude or nature:

bellicoseness, bellicosity, belligerence, belligerency, combativeness, contentiousness, militance, militancy, pugnaciousness, pugnacity, truculence, truculency.

2. Deep-seated hatred, as between longtime opponents or rivals:

animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, ill will.

3. Hostile behavior:

aggression, aggressiveness, belligerence, belligerency, combativeness, contentiousness, militance, militancy.

4. A state of open, prolonged fighting.Used in plural:

belligerency, conflict, confrontation, strife, struggle, war, warfare.

Translations

عَداوَه، عِداء

nepřátelství

fjendtlighed

FeindschaftHostilität

εχθροπραξία

hostilidad

hostilité

ellenséges viszony

fjandskapur

sovražnost

düşmanlık

敌意

hostility

[hɒsˈtɪlɪtɪ] N

1. (= animosity) → hostilidad f

2. hostilities (Mil) → hostilidades fpl
to cease/resume hostilities → cesar/reanudar las hostilidades

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

hostility

[hɒˈstɪlɪti] n → hostilité f

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

hostility

→ Feindseligkeit f; (between people) → Feindschaft f; to show hostility to somebody → sich jdm gegenüber feindselig verhalten; to show hostility to something → einer Sache (dat) → feindlich gegenüberstehen; feelings of hostility → feindselige Gefühle pl; he feels no hostility toward(s) anybody → er ist niemandem feindlich gesinnt; there is some hostility among them to the idea → sie sind teilweise gegen den Gedanken; hostility to foreigners → Ausländerfeindlichkeit f

hostilities pl (= warfare) → Feindseligkeiten pl

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

hostility

[hɒsˈtɪlɪtɪ] n → ostilità f inv

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

hostile

(ˈhostail) adjective

1. unfriendly; warlike. hostile tribesmen.

2. belonging to an enemy. a hostile army.

3. showing dislike or opposition to something. a hostile attitude.

hoˈstilities (-ˈsti-) noun plural

acts of war; battles. The two countries were engaged in hostilities.

hoˈstility (-ˈsti-) noun

unfriendliness; opposition.

hostility

n. hostilidad, agravio, animosidad.

hostility

n hostilidad f

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

The officer and soldiers who had arrested Pierre treated him with hostility but yet with respect, in the guardhouse to which he was taken.

View in context

The Weasel said that he had a special hostility to mice.

View in context

An alarm Crow Indians Their appearance Mode of approach Their vengeful errand Their curiosity Hostility between the Crows and Blackfeet Loving conduct of the Crows Laramie's Fork First navigation of the Nebraska Great elevation of the country Rarity of the atmosphere Its effect on the wood-work of wagons Black Hills Their wild and broken scenery Indian dogs Crow trophies Sterile and dreary country Banks of the Sweet Water Buffalo hunting Adventure of Tom Cain the Irish cook

Their mode of approach, to one not acquainted with the tactics and ceremonies of this rude chivalry of the wilderness, had an air of direct hostility. They came galloping forward in a body, as if about to make a furious charge, but, when close at hand, opened to the right and left, and wheeled in wide circles round the travellers, whooping and yelling like maniacs.

The Blackfoot is the hereditary enemy of the Crow, toward whom hostility is like a cherished principle of religion; for every tribe, besides its casual antagonists, has some enduring foe with whom there can be no permanent reconciliation.

View in context

The causes of hostility among nations are innumerable.

So far is the general sense of mankind from corresponding with the tenets of those who endeavor to lull asleep our apprehensions of discord and hostility between the States, in the event of disunion, that it has from long observation of the progress of society become a sort of axiom in politics, that vicinity or nearness of situation, constitutes nations natural enemies.

View in context

The latter forbade them, under pain of exterminating hostility, from attempting to proceed up the river, but offered to trade peacefully with them if they would halt where they were.

He sent back, therefore, an answer calculated to beguile Lisa, assuring him that he would wait for him at the Poncas village, which was but a little distance in advance; but, no sooner had the messenger departed, than he pushed forward with all diligence, barely stopping at the village to procure a supply of dried buffalo meat, and hastened to leave the other party as far behind as possible, thinking there was less to be apprehended from the open hostility of Indian foes than from the quiet strategy of an Indian trader.

View in context

Two months after marriage her husband abandoned her, and her impassioned protestations of affection he met with a sarcasm and even hostility that people knowing the count's good heart, and seeing no defects in the sentimental Lidia, were at loss to explain.

View in context

At the period of the tale, they dwelt in open hostility; national feuds passing from generation to generation.

View in context

Rafiq Ahmed about the long-standing hostility between two tribes of Khairpur, Sindh.

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