Animusa hostile feeling or strong dislike toward someone is a noun that means a feeling of hostilityunfriendly or angry attitude toward a person or group or strong ill will toward someone. It is usually used in formalsuitable for serious situations, official speech, or writing writing.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈænəməs/
Easy pronunciation: AN-uh-muhs (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable.
This noun means a feeling of ill will or hostility.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Animus Meaning
strong dislike or hostility toward someone
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a feeling of ill will that leads to active hostility
Example: There was clear animus between the two rival teams.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- animosity — A close match for hostile ill will.
- bad blood — An informal phrase for ongoing hostility.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Animus Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- animosity
- bad blood
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- animus is often confused with animation, but they are unrelated words.
- animus is not usually used to mean a person’s general attitude or intention in everyday speech.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does animus mean?
Animus means strong hostility or ill will toward someone.
What are the synonyms of animus?
Common synonyms include animosity and bad blood.
Is animus a positive or negative word?
It is a negative word because it refers to hostility or ill will.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-24. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.