Standard Lemma guide

inhospitable

adj · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌɪnhɒsˈpɪtəbəl/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: IH0 N HH AA1 S P AH0 T AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: IH2 N HH AA0 S P IH1 T AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Not inclined to hospitality; unfriendly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Not offering shelter; barren or forbidding.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

unfavorable to life or growth

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the barren inhospitable desert
  • inhospitable mountain areas

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: hospitable

4

adjective

Meaning 4

not hospitable

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they are extremely inhospitable these days
  • her greeting was cold and inhospitable

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: hospitable

History

Etymology

From Middle French inhospitable, from Medieval Latin inhospitābilis. By surface analysis, in- + hospitable.

Across languages

Translations

32 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: inhòspit — not inclined to hospitality; unfriendly
  • Irish: doicheallach — not inclined to hospitality; unfriendly
  • Spanish: inhospitable — not inclined to hospitality; unfriendly
  • Spanish: inhospitalario — not inclined to hospitality; unfriendly
  • Bulgarian: негостоприемен (negostopriemen) — Not offering shelter
  • Catalan: inhòspit — Not offering shelter
  • Dutch: onherbergzaam — Not offering shelter
  • Finnish: karu — Not offering shelter
  • French: inhospitalier — Not offering shelter
  • Galician: inhóspito — Not offering shelter
  • Greek: αφιλόξενος (afilóxenos) — Not offering shelter
  • Irish: ainfhial — Not offering shelter
  • Irish: danartha — Not offering shelter
  • Irish: dofháilteach — Not offering shelter
  • Irish: dothíosach — Not offering shelter
  • Latin: inhospitālis — Not offering shelter
  • Malagasy: tsy azo hiainana — Not offering shelter
  • Manx: neuoastagh — Not offering shelter
  • Manx: anoltagh — Not offering shelter
  • Manx: neuaaghtagh — Not offering shelter
  • Manx: neuchuirree — Not offering shelter
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ugjestmild — Not offering shelter
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ugjestmild — Not offering shelter
  • Old English: uncumlīþe — Not offering shelter
  • Old English: unġiestlīþe — Not offering shelter
  • Polish: niegościnny — Not offering shelter
  • Portuguese: inóspito — Not offering shelter
  • Russian: негостеприимный (negostepriimnyj) — Not offering shelter
  • Spanish: inhóspito — Not offering shelter
  • Spanish: inhospitable — Not offering shelter
  • Spanish: inhospitalario — Not offering shelter
  • Swedish: ogästvänlig — Not offering shelter