hostility

/hɒˈstɪləti/ (bre, ipa) · /hɑːˈstɪləti/ (ame, ipa) · /hä-ˈsti-lə-tē/ (ame, mw)

hostility — noun

1. a feeling of dislike or anger that makes you want to treat someone badly or avoi

1.名詞B2
釋義

a feeling of dislike or anger that makes you want to treat someone badly or avoid them, along with the unfriendly behaviour that comes from that feeling.

例句

Asher could feel the hostility in the room the moment he walked in.

feel hostility in [a place]

The new neighbours showed no hostility toward anyone on the street.

show hostility toward [someone]

同義詞
  • animosity

    stronger and more personal than hostility; implies active dislike over time

  • antagonism

    suggests active opposition or conflict, not just unfriendly feelings

  • enmity

    more formal and long-lasting; often between groups or nations

反義詞
  • friendliness

    warm and welcoming behaviour, the opposite of hostility

文法句型

hostility + towards + noun phrase

hostility + between + plural noun phrase

用法筆記

Uncountable — do not use a or an before it. Common in phrases like 'feel hostility' and 'show hostility'.

常見錯誤

❌He felt a hostility toward them.
✅He felt hostility toward them.
💡hostility is uncountable and does not take 'a'.

2. angry resistance to a proposal, policy, or change that makes it hard to put into

2.名詞B2
釋義

angry resistance to a proposal, policy, or change that makes it hard to put into practice.

例句

The mayor faced enormous hostility from residents over the new road plan.

face hostility from [group] over [issue]

There was open hostility in the meeting when Ramón suggested cutting the holiday budget.

同義詞
  • opposition

    more neutral; can be calm and principled rather than angry

  • resistance

    suggests active efforts to stop something from happening

  • antagonism

    implies active ill will aimed at blocking a proposal

反義詞
  • support

    agreement and encouragement for an idea or plan

文法句型

hostility + to + noun phrase

hostility + from + noun phrase

face/meet + hostility

用法筆記

Often appears with verbs like 'face', 'meet', 'encounter', or 'arouse'. The preposition 'to' or 'from' introduces the source of disagreement.

常見錯誤

❌There was hostility against the idea.
✅There was hostility to the idea.
💡the standard preposition with hostility in this sense is 'to', not 'against'.

3. active fighting between armed groups or countries, especially as part of a war o

3.名詞C1
釋義

active fighting between armed groups or countries, especially as part of a war or military conflict.

例句

After months of hostility, the two sides finally agreed to a ceasefire.

months of hostility

International observers were sent to monitor any further hostility along the border.

同義詞
  • warfare

    refers to the method or type of fighting, not the state of unfriendly relations

  • conflict

    broader term that can include non-military disagreements

  • fighting

    more direct and concrete; refers to physical combat

反義詞
  • peace

    a state without fighting or armed conflict

文法句型

open hostility

an end to hostilities

outbreak of hostilities

用法筆記

In formal or news contexts the plural form 'hostilities' is common — for example, 'the outbreak of hostilities' or 'to cease hostilities'. This sense is most often used in political and military reporting.

常見錯誤

❌Hostility broke out between the armies.
✅Hostilities broke out between the armies.
💡in the warfare sense, the plural form 'hostilities' is standard.