hostile

hostile
adjective Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin hostilis, from hostis Date: 1580 1. a. of or relating to an enemy <
hostile fire
>
b. marked by malevolence <
a hostile act
>
c. openly opposed or resisting <
a hostile critic
>
<
hostile to new ideas
>
d. (1) not hospitable <
plants growing in a hostile environment
>
(2) having an intimidating, antagonistic, or offensive nature <
a hostile workplace
>
2. a. of or relating to the opposing party in a legal controversy <
a hostile witness
>
b. adverse to the interests of a property owner or corporation management <
a hostile takeover
>
hostile nounhostilely adverb

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • hostile — Hostile …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • hostile — [ ɔstil ] adj. • 1450, rare XVIIe XVIIIe; lat. hostilis, de hostis « ennemi » 1 ♦ Qui manifeste de l agressivité, se conduit en ennemi. Pays, puissance hostile. Groupes hostiles qui se font la guerre. ⇒ adverse, ennemi. Foule hostile et menaçante …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • hostile — hos·tile adj 1: having an intimidating, antagonistic, or offensive nature a hostile work environment 2 a: of or relating to an opposing party in a legal action a hostile claim b: adverse to the interests of a party to a legal action if the… …   Law dictionary

  • hostile — hos‧tile [ˈhɒstaɪl ǁ ˈhɑːstl, ˈhɑːstaɪl] adjective FINANCE a hostile bid or takeover is one in which a company tries to buy another company whose shareholder S do not want to sell: • They ve managed to fight off a hostile takeover bid. * * * …   Financial and business terms

  • Hostile — Hos tile, a. [L. hostilis, from hostis enemy: cf. F. hostile. See {Host} an army.] Belonging or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hostile — (adj.) late 15c., from M.Fr. hostile of or belonging to an enemy or directly from L. hostilis of an enemy, from hostis enemy (see GUEST (Cf. guest)). The noun meaning hostile person is recorded from 1838, Amer.Eng., a word from the Indian Wars …   Etymology dictionary

  • hostile — [häs′təl; ] chiefly Brit [, häs′tīl΄] adj. [L hostilis < hostis, enemy: see HOSPICE] 1. of or characteristic of an enemy; warlike 2. having or showing ill will; unfriendly; antagonistic 3. not hospitable or compatible; adverse 4. Finance of or …   English World dictionary

  • Hostile — Hos tile, n. An enemy; esp., an American Indian in arms against the whites; commonly in the plural. [Colloq.] P. H. Sheridan. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • hostile — [adj] antagonistic, mean adverse, alien, allergic, anti*, argumentative, bellicose, belligerent, bitter, catty*, chill*, cold*, competitive, contentious, contrary, disapproving, dour, hateful, ill disposed, inhospitable, inimical, malevolent,… …   New thesaurus

  • hostile — ► ADJECTIVE 1) antagonistic; opposed. 2) of or belonging to a military enemy. 3) (of a takeover bid) opposed by the company to be bought. DERIVATIVES hostilely adverb hostility noun (pl. hostilities) . ORIGIN …   English terms dictionary

  • hostile — hos|tile [ hastl ] adjective ** ▸ 1 unfriendly/threatening ▸ 2 opposing something ▸ 3 of/done by enemy in war ▸ 4 difficult/dangerous ▸ 5 in business 1. ) behaving in a very unfriendly or threatening way toward someone: The mayor found himself in …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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