hostilities

hostilities — noun

1. fighting between the armed forces of two or more opposing sides, especially duri

1.名詞B2
釋義

fighting between the armed forces of two or more opposing sides, especially during a war

例句

The ceasefire agreement brought an end to three years of open hostilities between the two nations.

collocation: open hostilities / cease hostilities

All hostilities ceased at midnight when the peace treaty officially took effect.

formal register: 'all hostilities ceased' in official announcements

同義詞
  • warfare

    broader term, can describe the method or practice of war

  • fighting

    less formal and more general

  • armed conflict

    used especially in legal and diplomatic contexts

反義詞

文法句型

open hostilities

cease / suspend hostilities

hostilities break out

用法筆記

Frequently appears in news reports, military communiqués, and international law documents. Often paired with verbs like 'cease', 'suspend', 'break out', 'escalate'. The singular form is never used for this sense.

常見錯誤

❌The general announced a hostility.
✅The general announced a cessation of hostilities.
💡'hostilities' in the warfare sense cannot be used in the singular.

2. a strong, long-lasting feeling of hatred or ill will between two people or group

2.名詞B2
釋義

a strong, long-lasting feeling of hatred or ill will between two people or groups, often not openly expressed

例句

The old hostilities between the two families faded only after the grandchildren married.

collocation: old hostilities / deep hostilities

Chitra sensed the unspoken hostilities in the room when the rival candidates sat down together.

同義詞
  • animosity

    more personal and active, often with a specific cause

  • antagonism

    implies active opposition or hostility in behaviour

  • enmity

    more formal and suggests a state of being an enemy

  • ill will

    less formal, broader, less intense than hostilities

反義詞

文法句型

hostilities between X and Y

deep hostilities

用法筆記

Always used in the plural form even when referring to a general state of ill will. The singular 'hostility' exists but is less common for this sense of entrenched, mutual hatred.

常見錯誤

❌There was hostilities between the two departments.
✅There were hostilities between the two departments.
💡'hostilities' is always plural and requires a plural verb.

3. strong disagreement or opposition based on different beliefs, principles, or way

3.名詞C1
釋義

strong disagreement or opposition based on different beliefs, principles, or ways of thinking, without physical fighting

例句

The board meeting revealed the deep hostilities between the traditionalists and the reformers.

collocation: deep hostilities between [groups]

Intellectual hostilities between the two philosophers spilled over into their published works.

同義詞
  • antagonism

    more active, can be personal or ideological

  • opposition

    broader and more neutral

  • friction

    suggests ongoing disagreement and irritation

  • conflict

    broader, can include physical or non-physical

反義詞

文法句型

hostilities between [groups]

hostilities towards [idea/proposal]

用法筆記

Describes non-physical opposition in organizational, political, or academic settings. Distinguished from Sense 2 in that it focuses on opposition stemming from principles or ideas rather than personal dislike.

常見錯誤

❌There was a strong hostility among committee members.
✅There were strong hostilities among committee members.
💡for this sense of active opposition or disagreement, 'hostilities' is always plural and takes a plural verb; the uncountable 'hostility' describes a general feeling, not specific expressions of opposition.