hostility

hostility
hos|til|i|ty [ ha`stıləti ] noun uncount **
1. ) unfriendly or threatening behavior or feelings toward someone:
They were greeted with suspicion and hostility at first.
hostility between: There is no hostility between the staff and pupils.
hostility to/towards: I found it hard to handle people's hostility towards me.
2. ) opposition to something:
hostility to/toward: There is always some hostility to new technology.
3. ) hostilities plural FORMAL fighting between enemies in a war:
cessation of hostilities (=an end to the fighting): The UN is demanding an immediate cessation of hostilities.
hostility between: the likelihood of renewed hostilities between the two countries
the outbreak of hostilities (=the start of fighting): Anti-war demonstrations continued after the outbreak of hostilities.

Usage of the words and phrases in modern English. 2013.

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Synonyms:

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  • Hostility — (also called inimicality) is a form of angry internal rejection or denial in psychology. It is a part of personal construct psychology, developed by George Kelly. In everyday speech it is more commonly used as a synonym for anger and… …   Wikipedia

  • Hostility — Hos*til i*ty, n.; pl. {Hostilities}. [L. hostilitas: cf. F. hostilit[ e].] 1. State of being hostile; public or private enemy; unfriendliness; animosity. [1913 Webster] Hostility being thus suspended with France. Hayward. [1913 Webster] 2. An act …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hostility — index alienation (estrangement), argument (contention), belligerency, collision (dispute), conflict …   Law dictionary

  • hostility — early 15c., from M.Fr. hostilité enmity (15c.), or directly from L.L. hostilitatem (nom. hostilitas) enmity, from L. hostilis, from hostis enemy (see GUEST (Cf. guest)). Hostilities in the sense of “warfare” attested from 1610s …   Etymology dictionary

  • hostility — *enmity, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, rancor, animus Analogous words: hatred, *hate: ill will, malevolence, malignity, malignancy, *malice: aggression, *attack: opposing or opposition, combating, resisting or resistance (see corresponding… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • hostility — [n] antagonism, meanness abhorrence, aggression, animosity, animus, antipathy, aversion, bad blood*, bellicosity, belligerence, bitterness, detestation, disaffection, enmity, estrangement, grudge, hatred, ill will, inimicality, malevolence,… …   New thesaurus

  • hostility — [häs til′ə tē] n. pl. hostilities [Fr hostilité < LL hostilitas < L hostilis, HOSTILE] 1. a feeling of enmity, ill will, unfriendliness, etc.; antagonism 2. a) an expression of enmity and ill will; hostile act b) [pl.] open acts of war;… …   English World dictionary

  • hostility — noun 1 opposition/aggressive feelings or actions ADJECTIVE ▪ bitter (esp. BrE), considerable, deep, extreme, great, implacable ▪ downright, open …   Collocations dictionary

  • hostility — hos|til|i|ty [hɔˈstılıti US ha: ] n 1.) [U] when someone is unfriendly and full of anger towards another person hostility towards/between ▪ hostility towards foreigners hostility toward AmE ▪ hostility toward Jews open/outright hostility… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • hostility — n. 1) to arouse, stir up hostility 2) to display, show hostility 3) to express; feel hostility 4) bitter, deep, profound; open hostility 5) hostility against, to, towards 6) hostility between * * * [hɒ stɪlɪtɪ] deep feel hostility open hostility …   Combinatory dictionary

  • hostility */*/ — UK [hɒˈstɪlətɪ] / US [hɑˈstɪlətɪ] noun Word forms hostility : singular hostility plural hostilities 1) [uncountable] opposition to something hostility to/towards: There is always some hostility to new technology. 2) [uncountable] unfriendly or… …   English dictionary

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