inimical
9 synonyms and 6 antonyms for inimical, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adjective — Tending to harm something or make it impossible; working against it.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. adjective
Tending to harm something or make it impossible; working against it.
“Long hours are inimical to good judgement.”
Opposites
2. adjective
Unfriendly or hostile in attitude.
“He faced an inimical crowd from the first minute.”
Opposites
How to use inimical
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Formal and rather bookish; common in legal, political and academic prose.
Etymology
From Late Latin inimicalis, from Latin inimicus 'enemy', formed from in- 'not' and amicus 'friend'.
Full origin of inimical →Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between inimical and inimitable?
They are unrelated despite looking alike. Inimical means harmful or hostile; inimitable means so good or distinctive that nobody can copy it. Inimitable is a compliment, inimical never is.
How do you use inimical in a sentence?
The harm sense almost always takes 'to': something is inimical to something else. The hostility sense can stand alone before a noun, as in 'an inimical stare'.