1
as in hostile
marked by opposition or ill will
received an inimical response rather than the anticipated support
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in adverse
opposed to one's interests
laws designed to enhance national security that some regard as inimical to cherished freedoms
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inimical
The spiral of silence therefore becomes inimical to pluralistic debate, discussion and, ultimately, to democracy itself.
—
James L. Gibson, The Conversation, 26 June 2025
The partnership model’s annual distribution of funds is inimical to long-term investment.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Monk previously pleaded guilty to one gross misdemeanor count of driving after cancellation after being deemed inimical to the public safety.
—Pioneer Press, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2025
To believe otherwise is to not just believe that slower periods of economic growth require the very central planning that is so inimical to good times.
—John Tamny, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for inimical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inimical
Adjective
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Skepticism came easily to Trump, who had long been hostile to mainstream foreign policy.—
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The helicopter the pilot was flying — a heavy, twin-rotor MH-47 Chinook — was struck by hostile fire during the operation.—
Adjective
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Public systems can be somewhat risk adverse.—
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Nekrasov said adverse weather conditions also left parts of several other regions without power, including Chernihiv, Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Zakarpattia.—
Adjective
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Researchers revealed that the high-voltage output facilitates the neutralization and collection of dust and moisture by generating negative ions.—
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By the end of the year, the Gallup Economic Confidence Index, which measures views of the economy and its future, stood at a whopping negative 33, down nearly 20 points since spring.—
Adjective
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Just remember that Joe Biden’s administration had four years to open the files and disclose any possible news unfavorable to the Republicans.—
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While 48% of the respondents who had heard of Talarico viewed him positively and 18% viewed him negatively, 48% of respondents familiar with Crockett had an unfavorable impression compared with the 40% who viewed her positively.—
Adjective
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Rat poison, in Saban-speak, is what is detrimental to teams that start believing their hype and losing focus on the controllables like working as hard as possible every day.—
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So did the first-round bye really prove to be that detrimental?—
Adjective
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Some harmful varieties closely resemble edible mushrooms, even to experienced foragers.—
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On each phone, the lock screen image was a photo of a child who died young due to the harmful effects of social media.—
Cite this Entry
“Inimical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inimical. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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