GRE Words for Hostile and Unfriendly
These 13 GRE words all share the meaning of hostile and unfriendly. Studying them as one cluster is far more efficient than learning each in isolation, because the GRE tests words by how they relate to each other. Each entry below links to a full definition page with example sentences and memory hooks.
Why this cluster matters
On Sentence Equivalence you must choose two words that give the sentence the same meaning. That means the answer is almost always a synonym pair pulled from a cluster like this one. Watch the connotation tone on each word: a positive and a negative word rarely form a correct pair, even when their definitions look close.
The 13 words
Bitter and sharp in language or tone; caustic
Showing or feeling active opposition or hostility toward someone or something
Threatening harm; menacing; having a harmful or destructive effect
Demonstrating aggression and willingness to fight
Hostile and aggressive; engaged in war or conflict
Causing or likely to cause an argument; controversial
Tending to obstruct or harm; unfriendly; hostile
Having or showing a wish to do evil to others
Eager or quick to argue, quarrel, or fight
Given to or characterized by quarreling
Characterized by bitterness or resentment
Eager to argue or fight; aggressively defiant
Filled with bitter criticism or malice
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