unfriendly definition

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʌnˈfɹɛn(d)li/

  • Audio (Mid-Atlantic)

    (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle English unfrendly, unfrendli, unfrendely, from Old English *unfrēondlīċ (suggested by derivative unfrēondlīċe (“in an unfriendly manner; unfriendly”, adverb)), equivalent to un- +‎ friendly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian uunfrüntelk, uunfjuntelk (“unfriendly”), West Frisian ûnfreonlik (“unfriendly”), Dutch onvriendelijk (“unfriendly”), German Low German unfrünnelk (“unfriendly”), German unfreundlich (“unfriendly”), Faroese ófryntligur (“unfriendly”), Icelandic ófrýnilegur (“ugly; disturbing”).

Adjective

unfriendly (comparative unfriendlier or more unfriendly, superlative unfriendliest or most unfriendly)

1. Not friendly; hostile; mean.
2. Unfavourable.

Antonyms

• friendly

Derived terms

Related terms

• unfriend

Translations

Noun

unfriendly (plural unfriendlies)

1. An enemy.
   • 2005, Ted Dekker, Thunder of Heaven, page 217:

     Sweep the valley compound and eliminate any unfriendlies you encounter.

   • 2008, Dennis Wengert, A Very Healthy Insanity, page 44:

     You see, the mission of almost every teenage girl on the loose is to first identify the targets, just like a war. These include the primary objective (the boy), the enemy (other girls), the friendlies (sympathetic girl friends and the boy's family), and unfriendlies (other boys).

Etymology 2

From Middle English unfrendli, from Old English unfrēondlīċe (“in an unfriendly manner”), equivalent to unfriend +‎ -ly.

Adverb

unfriendly (comparative unfriendlier or more unfriendly, superlative unfriendliest or most unfriendly)

1. in an unkind or unfriendly manner; not as a friend