un ‧ friend ‧ ly /ʌnˈfrendli/ BrE AmE adjective ( comparative unfriendlier , superlative unfriendliest )
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ friend , ↑ friendliness , ↑ friendship , ↑ friendly ; adjective : ↑ friendly ≠ ↑ unfriendly , ↑ friendless ; verb : ↑ befriend ]
1 . not kind or friendly:
The old man looked cross and unfriendly.
a lonely unfriendly place
unfriendly to/towards
The villagers were really quite unfriendly towards us.
2 . not helping or wanting a type of person or thing
unfriendly to
We have created cities that are unfriendly to pedestrians.
3 . an unfriendly government or nation is one that opposes yours
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THESAURUS
■ person/voice/behaviour
▪ unfriendly/not friendly behaving towards someone in a way that shows you are not interested in them or are not ready to talk to them or help them:
The hotel staff were unfriendly and unhelpful.
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an unfriendly tone of voice
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They didn't seem very friendly to strangers.
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She gave him an unfriendly glance.
▪ hostile very unfriendly, and ready to argue or fight:
He was openly hostile towards me when I arrived.
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A hostile crowd gathered oustide the US embassy.
▪ cold behaving towards other people as if you do not like them or care about them:
He gave her a cold stare.
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a cold voice
▪ frosty unfriendly, especially because you are angry with someone:
When she spoke, her tone was frosty.
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He got a frosty reception from his wife when he finally returned home (=she was not very friendly towards him) .
▪ aloof [not before noun] not wanting to talk to other people or spend time with them, especially because you think you are better than them:
Some politicians are criticized for being too aloof.
▪ antagonistic unfriendly and always trying to start arguments with someone:
Why are Kate and John so antagonistic towards each other?
▪ antisocial not interested in meeting other people or forming friendly relationships with them:
Sorry if I'm being antisocial, but I need to get my work done.
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He was an antisocial loner with no friends.
■ place/organization
▪ unfriendly making you feel as though you are not wanted:
The report found that the Church can seem unfriendly to outsiders.
▪ unwelcoming unfriendly - used especially about the physical characteristics or appearance of something:
The entrance to the factory is cold, bare, and unwelcoming.
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The new fence is just one example of the city’s attempt to make public spaces unwelcoming to the homeless.
▪ impersonal lacking the normal friendly relations between people who work or do business together:
I had no desire to work for a large impersonal organization.
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They just handed over the keys and walked out – it was all so impersonal.
▪ forbidding unfriendly, uncomfortable, and a little frightening, so that you do not want to go there:
The school was a rather forbidding building surrounded by a high steel fence.