inhospitable

adjective

in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-bəl  (ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi- 

1

: not showing hospitality : not friendly or receptive

2

: providing no shelter or sustenance

an inhospitable environment

inhospitableness noun

inhospitably

ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-blē 

(ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-

adverb

Synonyms

• adversarial
• adversary
• antagonistic
• antipathetic
• hostile
• inimical
• jaundiced
• mortal
• negative
• unfriendly
• unsympathetic

Examples of inhospitable in a Sentence

It's very inhospitable of him to be so rude to strangers.

the proposal received an unexpectedly inhospitable response from the city council

Recent Examples on the Web

Five years after the events of Jurassic World Dominion, the planet's ecology has proven largely inhospitable to dinosaurs. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Feb. 2025

Though authorities considered dispatching aid by plane, the dangers posed by flying in such cold temperatures over poorly mapped, inhospitable territory led them to opt for dog-sled teams instead. —David Kindy, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Jan. 2025

While some sections of the crater floor are inhospitable, the researchers found several species living on the volcano’s carbonate crusts. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 28 Jan. 2025

And in those moments, Kansas City can be an inhospitable place. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

inhospitable

adjective

in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)häs-ˈpit-ə-bəl  (ˈ)in-ˈhäs-(ˌ)pit- 

1

: not friendly or generous : not showing hospitality

2

: providing no shelter or food : barren

an inhospitable desert

inhospitably

-blē 

adverb

inhospitality

(ˌ)in-ˌhäs-pə-ˈtal-ət-ē

noun