Animosity refers to a strong, active hostility or active dislike toward someone or something, often expressed openly or through actions. It denotes a bitter, lingering ill will rather than a fleeting irritation, and can fuel persistent tension or conflict in interactions. The term is commonly used in contexts of personal hostility, political rivalry, or organizational disputes.
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"There was obvious animosity between the rival teams after the heated game."
"Her animosity toward her former colleague lingered long after the fallout."
"The policy debate exposed deep-seated animosity within the community."
"Despite years of cooperation, animosity resurfaced when their goals diverged."
Animosity comes from the Latin anima meaning 'soul' or 'life force', and the suffix -osity formed to indicate a state or condition. The word blends anima- with -osity, which is akin to other abstract-noun formations such as hostility, antagonism, and viscosity in origin. Early uses in English appear in the 16th century through Latin-influenced scholarly vocabulary, often in philosophical or legal discussions about moral sentiments or social tensions. The sense evolved to describe active ill will or enmity rather than mere dislike, and by the 19th and 20th centuries migrated into common usage to characterize personal grudges and political rivalries. The lexical path mirrors a broader trend of Latin-derived abstract nouns entering English in educated discourse and later permeating everyday speech as societies grapple with conflict and factionalism.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "animosity" and can often be used interchangeably.
🔄 These words have opposite meanings to "animosity" and show contrast in usage.
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Words that rhyme with "animosity"
-ity sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /ˌæn.ɪˈmɒs.ɪ.ti/ (US/UK/AU share the same primary vowels here). Start with a schwa-like initial 'a' sound, then a short 'n' followed by a quick 'ih' or short 'i' in the second syllable, stress the third syllable 'MOS', then a soft 'ih' and end with 'tee'. Tip: keep the /æ/ in the first syllable short and avoid a long 'a'. Audio reference: say it slowly as ‘AN-ih-MOS-ih-tee’ and then speed up. IPA: US/UK/AU: ˌæn.ɪˈmɒs.ɪ.ti.
Two common errors: 1) Misplacing stress on the second syllable (a-NI-mo-si-ty) or the first syllable; keep primary stress on MOS in -mosity. 2) Diluting the /ɒ/ into a longer 'o' or mispronouncing the second syllable as /-ɪ-/. Correction: pronounce /ˌæn.ɪˈmɒs.ɪ.ti/ with a short /ɒ/ (not /oʊ/) and a clear /s/ before the /ɪ/ in the penultimate syllable. Practice with minimal pairs: ‘animosity’ vs ‘animosities’ vs ‘anomaly’ to hear the contrast.
Across US/UK/AU, the main difference is vowel quality in the /ɒ/ as in MOS. In most US accents, /ɒ/ approaches a relaxed /ɑ/ or /ɒ/ but often sound like /ɑ/ in alphabets; UK generally preserves a more rounded /ɒ/; Australian often has a broader /ɒ/ and can affect the preceding /nɪ/ with a lighter /ɪ/. The rhoticity is not a major factor here because the word isn’t strongly rhotic, but you’ll hear subtle vowel shifts: US /ˌæn.ɪˈmɑː.sɪ.ti/ vs UK /ˌæn.ɪˈmɒs.ɪ.ti/ vs AU similar to UK but with slightly wider vowel. Always check a reputable dictionary for the local variant.
3 key challenges: 1) The third-syllable /ˈmɒs/ includes a short, stressed vowel before a nasal plus /s/; keep the /m/ and /s/ crisp and avoid turning /mɒs/ into /mɔs/ or /mæs/. 2) The sequence /ɪˈmɒs.ɪ/ can cause a subtle shift in the mid vowels; practice by isolating /ɪ/ and /ɒ/ with quick transitions. 3) Final /ti/ cluster can be overemphasized; aim for light, unstressed /ti/ that glides into the following sound in connected speech. Focus on maintaining even timing across syllables and avoid adding extra vowels between /m/ and /ɒ/.
Yes. In animosity, the initial 'an' is /æn/ with a short black-front vowel; in animosities, the final -ies is pronounced as /-ɪ.tiz/ or /-ɪ.ɪz/ depending on the style, but the initial 'an' keeps the /æ/ sound. The principal variation occurs in pluralization, not in the root: the root’s initial syllable remains /ˈæ.nɪ/ with the same starting vowel. The stress remains on the /ˈmɒs/ or /ˈmɑːs/ depending on accent; the suffix changes the ending but not the initial sound.
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