different between icy vs hostile

English

Alternative forms

• icey (rare)
• ycie (obsolete)

Etymology

ice +? -y; cf. Old English ?si?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?a?si/

Adjective

icy (comparative icier, superlative iciest)

1. Pertaining to, resembling, or abounding in ice; cold; frosty.
2. Covered with ice, wholly or partially.
3. Characterized by coldness of manner; frigid; cold.
   • 2009, Sharon Kendrick, The Desert Princes Bundle: The Sheikh's English Bride

     Gone was the gleam of desire, and the teasingly provocative remarks, and Alexa realised the truth in the saying that indifference was death. His demeanour was haughty and icy towards her.

4. (US, slang) To be wearing an excessive amount of jewelry, especially of the high-quality and expensive kind.

Related terms

• icily
• iciness

Translations

References

• icy in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• icy in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• CyI

Middle French

Adverb

icy

1. here

Descendants

• French: ici

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)