- hostility
- noun1 opposition/aggressive feelings or actionsADJECTIVE▪ bitter (esp. BrE), considerable, deep, extreme, great, implacable▪ downright, open, outright, overt▪
Mixed-race couples faced open hostility.
▪ veiled▪There was a barely veiled hostility in her tone.
▪ general, widespread▪ popular (esp. BrE), public▪the widespread popular hostility to the war
▪ personal▪ continuing, growing▪ mutual▪ racialVERB + HOSTILITY▪ feel, sense▪the deep hostility felt by many teenagers against the police
▪ express, show▪ arouse, attract (esp. BrE), provoke▪Such a move might arouse public hostility.
▪ be greeted with, be met with, encounter, face, meet with▪The proposal was met with outright hostility.
PREPOSITION▪ hostility between▪You could almost feel the hostility between her and her mother.
▪ hostility against, hostility to, hostility towards/toward▪the bitter hostility towards/toward the occupying forces
2 hostilities fighting in a warADJECTIVE▪ major▪ active (esp. AmE)VERB + HOSTILITIES▪ cease, end▪Both sides finally agreed to suspend hostilities.
▪ resume (esp. BrE)▪Hostilities were resumed later that year.
HOSTILITIES + VERB▪ begin, break out, commence▪ cease, end▪On the November 11, 1918, hostilities ceased.
▪ continue, resume (esp. BrE)PREPOSITION▪ hostility against▪the official cessation of hostilities against Japan
▪ hostility between▪Hostilities broke out between the two provinces later that year.
PHRASES▪ the cessation of hostilities▪ an outbreak of hostilities
Collocations dictionary. 2013.