animosity
noun
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Where does the word animosity come from?
The important Latin word animus (very closely related to anima) could mean a great many things having to do with the soul and the emotions, one of them being "anger". As an English word, animus has generally meant "ill will", so it isn't mysterious that animosity means basically the same thing. Animosity can exist between two people, two groups or organizations, or two countries, and can sometimes lie hidden for years before reappearing. The deep animosities that exist between certain ethnic and religious groups sometimes seem as if they will last forever.
Synonyms
Examples of animosity in a Sentence
John Grisham, New York Times Book Review, 1 May 2005
As I get older, I have noticed the troubles many of my friends have with their fathers: the animosities and disappointments, held so long in the arrears of late adolescence, suddenly coming up due on both ends. But my father and I, if anything, have gotten closer, even as I understand him less and less.
—Tom Bissell, Harper's, December 2004
What I did not anticipate, however, was the depth of animosity that had been simmering among the teachers beneath the pleasantries that characterized our public, formal encounters. I discovered that my enthusiastic advocacy for whole language was received by traditional teachers as demeaning, insulting attacks.
—Elaine Garan, Language Arts, September 1998
We put aside our personal animosities so that we could work together.
his open animosity towards us made our meeting very uncomfortable
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
Brady reportedly isn’t friendly with Valente, but according to the Daily Mail, there’s no great animosity between them either.
—Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 28 Oct. 2024
As the plot thickens, the affable camaraderie between the cousins escalates to hostile animosity.
—Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
Even Juan Hernandez of Santa Clara, whose nose was broken by protesters while attending the 2016 Trump rally in his MAGA hat, senses a deeper animosity now than eight years ago.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for animosity 
Dictionary Entries Near animosity
Cite this Entry
“Animosity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/animosity. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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animosity
noun
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