hostilityhos‧til‧i‧ty /hɒˈstɪləti $ hɑː-/ ●○○ noun 
hostility towards foreignershostility toward American English hostility toward religious minoritiesopen/outright hostility (=hostility that is clearly shown) They eyed each other with open hostility.2[uncountable] strong or angry opposition to something: The reform program was greeted with hostility by conservatives.hostility to/towards There is a lot of public hostility to the tax. Pictures of refugees aroused popular hostility (=felt by a lot of people) towards the war.hostility toward American English Republican hostility toward slavery3hostilities [plural] formal fighting in a war: a cessation of hostilities
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Given his open hostility, it seemed pointless to try and continue to persuade him.
- Recently there has been hostility towards the Prime Minister from members of his own party.
- The announcement was greeted with hostility from some employees.
- The verdict may worsen racial hostility.
- Boys in an autocratic group were more dependent on their leader, and submissive; their hostility was towards each other.
- But they also told these stories because they felt so disturbed by the alienation and hostility of some black students.
- Consequently, the Franco regime could not institute a programme of land reform without arousing the hostility of the landowners.
- Its consequences are hostility to the strong state and vanguard party and sympathy with pluralism and perhaps forms of anarchism.
- Now they became centers of hostility.
- The hostility and bloodshed associated with the partition resulted in 1 million deaths.
- The only council member who can be seen to be motivated by hostility to the family is William, lord Hastings.
- They were greeted with open hostility.
THESAURUS
noun [uncountable] strong disagreement with or protest against something: · Opposition to the proposed scheme was widespread.· The plan met with stiff opposition (=strong opposition).
noun [countable] a reason you give for opposing an idea or plan: · My main objection is that it will cost too much money.· A number of objections were raised.
noun [uncountable] a strong feeling of opposition to something, or dislike for someone, which is shown in your behaviour, and has often existed for a long time: · his own antagonism to any form of authority· There is no antagonism towards tourists on the island.· people’s antagonism to communism
noun [uncountable] angry remarks or behaviour that show someone opposes something very strongly, or dislikes someone very much: · The announcement was greeted with hostility from some employees.· There is a certain amount of hostility towards the police among local people.
noun [uncountable] formal a strong feeling of opposition and dislike for someone or something: · his fundamental antipathy to capitalism· Her long-standing antipathy to Herr Kohl was well-known.· Darwin shared Lyell's antipathy to the idea that the same species could appear independently in different areas.
Longman Language Activatorwords or behaviour that show that you oppose something something that you say because you oppose one particular detail of a plan, course of action etc: have an objection: · If anyone has any objections, please let us know as soon as possible.raise an objection (=state an objection): · When I told him about my plans, my father raised one objection after another.have no objection: · If you have no objection, I would like to use your name as a reference when I start applying for jobs.
things that people say or do in order to show that they are against something: · Widespread opposition to the military government led to violence in the streets.opposition to: · Opposition to the war grew rapidly.face opposition: · Plans for the new stadium will no doubt face a lot of opposition.express opposition: · Thousands of people plan to gather on Sunday to express their opposition to the government's handling of the crisis.strong opposition: · Despite strong opposition, the law was passed.
angry remarks or behaviour that shows someone opposes a plan or idea very strongly: · The announcement was greeted with hostility from some employees.hostility to/towards: · Recently there has been hostility towards the Prime Minister from members of his own party.open hostility (=obvious or public hostility): · Given his open hostility, it seemed pointless to try and continue to persuade him.
angry and unpleasant feelings or behaviour that show someone dislikes or disagrees very strongly with a person, organization, plan, or idea: antagonism to/towards: · Hines made no effort to conceal his antagonism towards his supervisor.antagonism between: · Mitchell sees no clear way to end the antagonism between the two groups.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Pictures of refugees aroused popular hostility (=felt by a lot of people) towards the war.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Despite vehement opposition, the Act became law.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
(=hostility that is clearly shown) They eyed each other with open hostility.
They eyed each other with open hostility. Pictures of refugees aroused popular hostility (=felt by a lot of people) towards the war.· He accused sections of the media of trying to excite racial hatred.
· Aggressive behaviour provokes hostility.
Despite vehement opposition, the Act became law.· The New Urban Left councils aroused considerable hostility from the government, and some anxiety from the leadership of the Labour party.· Assimilation is consequently difficult, particularly as the minority groups experience considerable hostility.
· As an exercise, it was valuable for Glass even if it aroused a great deal of hostility.
· They were greeted with open hostility.· Seven pairs of eyes were looking at him with open hostility, even the youngest's who was not yet four.· With no-one yet fully recovered, and as the strange events continue, open hostility breaks out.· At any rate, Miss Gregory and I always eyed each other with open hostility.
· Competition and struggle may be the watchwords but this does not necessarily imply outright hostility.· From reluctant acceptance, the village mood was rapidly transformed into outright hostility.
· Mr Broady painted a frightening picture of considerable violence and a fair amount of popular hostility to the police.· There would also appear to have been relatively little popular hostility towards papal authority.
· It was violation of the ability-to-pay principle that caused much of the public hostility to the poll tax.· A similar public hostility toward new religions occurred following the Jonestown mass suicides in 1978.
VERB· The New Urban Left councils aroused considerable hostility from the government, and some anxiety from the leadership of the Labour party.· Consequently, the Franco regime could not institute a programme of land reform without arousing the hostility of the landowners.
· Inability to express hostility and aggressive feelings directly; 3.
· It faced hostility from Labour leaders, and never succeeded in gaining an electoral or industrial base.· Although normally quietly spoken, he would be most courageous in facing hostility in discussion, even from large groups of people.· Many had faced hostility from colleagues who were opposed to fundholding.· As governments, both have faced hostility from a powerful neighbour.· He could not expect the support of the Allies, but, more importantly, neither would he face active hostility.· When the going got rough the brothers usually sent a deputy to face the unpleasant hostility to which they would be exposed.· In addition Quintianus faced hostility from a local official, Lytigius, and from Hortensius.
· Barney Moss stared at Doyle through the intervening glass-topped door, and Doyle felt the hostility like tiny knives.· Other students, while constantly feeling the pressure of hostility and homophobia, have been none the less extremely successful during their college years.· He could feel reserve, even hostility, coming towards him as real as the smell of roasting meat.· Birkett appears to feel a personal hostility to Mary Kingsley and her autocratic ways, rather than antagonism towards her imperialist activities.
· Even before last week's decision bureaucrats were debating whether to lower the target because of the increasing hostility to nuclear power.· The increasing hostility to affirmative action has rubbed off on the diversity movement.· Strikes grew more frequent and violent, the harsh suppression of them by the government increasing hostility towards the republican regime.· This incident was the culmination of increasing hostility among black and white students at Olivet.
· The pickets travelling to Kent were met by unbridled hostility from local people, orchestrated by local newspapers.· Black efforts to improve their circumstances were met with hostility and suspicion, and finally, open aggression.
· This had provoked hostility in some quarters towards him - a hostility that lingered still in the family-orientated Marsh End.· In acquiescing, the government was well aware that the final terms would provoke peasant hostility, and took suitable precautions.· Stanley's government proposals on emancipation in mid-May provoked hostility amongst delegates on the grounds of compensation and the apprenticeship scheme.
· Why should their disciples attack a Church which showed so little hostility to them?
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[uncountable] when someone is unfriendly and full of anger towards another personhostility towards/between- Although it quickly subsided, what I was able to catch was sufficient to arouse suspicion.
- In schools the increasing number of para.professionals creeping in under the resources umbrella have understandably aroused suspicions in teachers' union branches.
- Parked vehicles that arouse suspicion should be reported.
- Similarly the threat of a loss arouses anxiety and actual loss causes sorrow, while both situations are likely to arouse anger.
- The beguiling simplicity of the flat tax is one reason it arouses suspicion.
- The two painters downstairs impinge - directly through their crazy behaviour arousing suspicion against themselves, and indirectly through Porfiry.
- They are fascinating and frightening; they arouse anger and they are defiant.
- Unless your home is totally dilapidated, steer clear of a complete redecoration prior to selling: it will arouse suspicion.
hostility towards foreignershostility toward American English hostility toward religious minoritiesopen/outright hostility (=hostility that is clearly shown) They eyed each other with open hostility.2[uncountable] strong or angry opposition to something: The reform program was greeted with hostility by conservatives.hostility to/towards There is a lot of public hostility to the tax. Pictures of refugees aroused popular hostility (=felt by a lot of people) towards the war.hostility toward American English Republican hostility toward slavery3hostilities [plural] formal fighting in a war: a cessation of hostilities