Words / B1

ho-STIL-uh-tee/hɒˈstɪləti/

Hostility is unfriendly or aggressive feeling or behaviour (often uncountable): hostility to / towards; open hostility. Hostile is the adjective (already in the dictionary). Hatred is more personal and intense; opposition can be political without anger. Town-hall meetings: hostility to a bypass.

Meaning

Unfriendly or aggressive feelings or behaviour (often uncountable).

Examples

• “There was open hostility to the bypass at the town-hall meeting.”
• “Hostility towards locum staff made the rota harder to fill.”

Good to know

hostility to / towards (often uncountable). Adjective: hostile. Intense twin: hatred. Calmer: opposition. Planning / workplace news.

Near in meaning

opposition

New