Synonyms of adversarial

adversarial

adjective

ˌad-vər-ˈser-ē-əl 

as in hostile

marked by opposition or ill will

the relationship between the president and the congress should not be adversarial if anything is to get done

Synonyms & Similar Words

• hostile
• negative
• antagonistic
• adverse
• contentious
• adversary
• conflicting
• opposed
• unfavorable
• unfriendly
• inimical
• inhospitable
• antipathetic
• unpleasant
• unsympathetic
• jaundiced
• combative
• militant
• mortal
• belligerent
• malicious
• bellicose
• contrary
• icy
• pugnacious
• quarrelsome
• argumentative
• resisting
• frigid
• antisocial
• clashing
• truculent
• disputatious
• distant
• disagreeable
• biased
• bitter
• rude
• acrimonious
• vindictive
• cold
• scrappy
• disapproving
• hateful
• prejudiced
• spiteful
• malignant
• discourteous
• uncivil
• unkind
• malevolent
• virulent
• rancorous
• unsociable
• malign
• impolite
• unmannerly
• surly
• inconsiderate
• unloving
• cool
• impertinent
• opprobrious
• ill-mannered
• despiteful
• ill-bred

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• sympathetic
• civil
• friendly
• social
• hospitable
• cordial
• amiable
• pleasant
• warm
• amicable
• convivial
• neighborly
• genial
• affable
• gracious
• sociable
• nonhostile
• companionable
• gregarious
• kind
• loving
• affectionate
• sweet
• good-natured
• nonantagonistic
• favorable
• comradely
• benign
• devoted
• nice
• kindly
• agreeable
• accepting
• empathetic
• good-tempered
• understanding
• welcoming
• approving
• warmhearted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of adversarial

Yet the episode also offered evidence of how natural resources provide a bulwark against an adversarial White House. — Alexis Akwagyiram, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Historically, adversarial nation-states were largely considered the biggest cybersecurity threat to critical infrastructure. — Justine Calma, The Verge, 20 Sep. 2026

The threat can become greater in the face of an adversarial prompt, in which an attacker attempts to cause a model to carry out a harmful action, such as revealing a password or other sensitive information. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2026

The scenes that generate the most sparks tend to be those between Murdoch and Lamb, becoming more adversarial when the editor starts operating by his own rules. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026