different between hostile vs cantankerous

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French hostile, from Latin host?lis, from hostis (“enemy”). Displaced Old English f?ondl??.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?h?sta?l/, /?h?st?l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?h?st?l/, /?h?sta?l/
• Homophone: hostel (one pronunciation)
• Rhymes: -?st?l

Adjective

hostile (comparative more hostile, superlative most hostile)

1. Not friendly, appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure

   Synonyms: inimical, unfriendly

   a hostile force

   hostile intentions

   a hostile country

   hostile to a sudden change

2. Aggressive, antagonistic.
3. Unwilling
4. Of a hostile takeover.

   Microsoft may go hostile in its bid for Yahoo as soon as Friday, according to a published report.

Synonyms

• antagonistic
• hateful
• See also Thesaurus:hostile

Antonyms

• friendly

Related terms

• hostility
• hostilely
• host
• See also Thesaurus:combative

Translations

Noun

hostile (plural hostiles)

1. (chiefly in the plural) An enemy.

Translations

Anagrams

• Elohist, eoliths, holiest, sholtie

French

Etymology

From Middle French hostile, hostif (this form with a change of suffix), borrowed from Latin hostilis.

Pronunciation

• ^{(mute h)} IPA^(key): /?s.til/

Adjective

hostile (plural hostiles)

1. hostile
2. unfriendly

Synonyms

• ennemi

Related terms

• hostilité
• ost

Further reading

• “hostile” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Latin

Adjective

host?le

1. nominative neuter singular of host?lis
2. accusative neuter singular of host?lis
3. vocative neuter singular of host?lis

References

• hostile in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)

English

Etymology

Perhaps derived from earlier contenkerous, from contentious + rancorous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kæn?tæ?k???s/, /k?n?tæ?k???s/

Adjective

cantankerous (comparative more cantankerous, superlative most cantankerous)

1. Given to or marked by an ill-tempered nature; ill-tempered, cranky, surly, crabby.

Usage notes

Note: cantankerous is generally used to describe an unpleasant elderly person in a slightly pejorative manner. However, the term can be used to people in general, livestock, and machinery as well.

Synonyms

• cranky
• grouchy
• grumpy
• ornery
• surly
• truculent

Derived terms

Translations