inimical
hostile or harmful
Roots
- amic: friend or friendly feeling
- im- / in- (not): not or without
- inim / enemy: enemy, hostile, or unfriendly
Other words with the amic root
Other words with the inim / enemy root
Inimical keeps the enemy shape: something stands against you.
The policy was inimical to students who had to work nights.
Inimical is not just bad. It feels opposed, as if the thing has taken the enemy side. Put it beside enemy and enmity, and the word gets a spine.