Definition

The quality or state of being unkind or hostile towards others.

Example

Her unfriendliness made it difficult for her to make new friends.

Conversation

I felt a lot of unfriendliness from him during the meeting.

Really? I thought he was just having a bad day.

Maybe, but his comments felt really harsh and dismissive.

That’s true; sometimes it can be hard to tell what's going on with people.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Unfriendliness → It is formed from "un-" (meaning not) and "friend" (from Old English "freond", meaning a person with whom one has a bond of mutual affection) and "-liness" (meaning the state or quality of). The word "unfriendliness" means the state of not being friendly or lacking in kindness.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('un-') being added to 'friend' (someone you have affection for) and then adding '-liness' to describe the quality of that state. This helps you remember that unfriendliness refers to the quality of not being friendly.

Visually Confused Words