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Hostile vs Harmful - What's the difference?

hostile | harmful | Related terms |

Hostile is a related term of harmful.


As adjectives the difference between hostile and harmful

is that hostile is belonging or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy or enemies; inimical; unfriendly while harmful is of a kind likely to be damaging; injurious.

As a noun hostile

is (chiefly|in the plural) an enemy.

hostile

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Belonging or appropriate to an enemy; showing the disposition of an enemy; showing ill will and malevolence, or a desire to thwart and injure; occupied by an enemy or enemies; inimical; unfriendly
    • a hostile force
    hostile intentions
    a hostile country
    hostile to a sudden change

    Related terms

    * hostility * See also

    Synonyms

    * antagonistic * hateful

    Antonyms

    * friendly

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (chiefly, in the plural) An enemy.

    • Anagrams

    * * ----

    harmful

    English

    Alternative forms

    * harmfull (archaic)

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • of a kind likely to be damaging; injurious
    • Wear a hat to protect your skin from harmful sunlight.

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "harmful" is often applied: effect, consequence, impact, influence, emission, chemical, ingredient, substance, gas, agent, additive, drug, radiation, dust, organism, plant, animal, insect, action, act, behavior, component, content, activity, interference, use.

    Synonyms

    * injurious; see also

    Antonyms

    * beneficial * harmless

    See also

    * harm