inhospitable

adjective

in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)hä-ˈspi-tə-bəl How to pronounce inhospitable (audio) (ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi- How to pronounce inhospitable (audio)
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 How to pronounce inhospitable (audio)
(ˌ)in-ˈhä-(ˌ)spi-
adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Down the hall from the Cosmic Splendor display, visitors can view the short Worlds Beyond Earth film, which outlines the perfect conditions Earth has for life compared to its inhospitable planet neighbors. Jessica Rendall, Space.com, 4 June 2025 But for the roughly 200 men and women arriving for the weekend’s Tactical Games, the inhospitable weather only added to the experience. Calum Marsh Bridget Bennett, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 But fashion aside, Capri in truth is an utterly inhospitable piece of high rock surrounded by churning seas, with not a single accessible beach to its name. James Fallon, Footwear News, 24 May 2025 The temperatures for late May, even this far north, have plummeted, making the inhospitable terrain of northern Finland even tougher for the Finnish, Swedish and British soldiers halfway through joint live-fire exercises, dubbed Northern Strike 125, in Europe's largest training ground, Rovajärvi. Ellie Cook — Reporting From Rovajärvi, Northern Finland, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for inhospitable

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of inhospitable was circa 1570

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Cite this Entry

“Inhospitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inhospitable. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

inhospitable

adjective
in·​hos·​pi·​ta·​ble ˌin-(ˌ)häs-ˈpit-ə-bəl How to pronounce inhospitable (audio) (ˈ)in-ˈhäs-(ˌ)pit- How to pronounce inhospitable (audio)
1
: not friendly or generous : not showing hospitality
2
: providing no shelter or food : barren
an inhospitable desert
inhospitably adverb
inhospitality
(ˌ)in-ˌhäs-pə-ˈtal-ət-ē
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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