as in hostility
a deep-seated ill will
feeling no animus toward those who had wronged her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of animus
Typical of rape survivors, black women were freighted with a particular kind of animus.
—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Lacrosse parents pushed for accountability, and there is a perception in town that Blake acted here out of animus and retaliation against the team.
—
Ryan Canfield Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
After moving back to the city at twenty-seven, Goetz became obsessed with local blight, and racial animus came to dominate his worldview.
—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
And that racial animus was what was making it – as Dorothy Fujita-Rony, who writes on Filipino-American workers in Seattle, identified – this time, the 1920s and ’30s, as a period of profound violence against Filipinos in the United States.
—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for animus
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Lacrosse parents pushed for accountability, and there is a perception in town that Blake acted here out of animus and retaliation against the team.
—
Ryan Canfield Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
After moving back to the city at twenty-seven, Goetz became obsessed with local blight, and racial animus came to dominate his worldview.
—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
And that racial animus was what was making it – as Dorothy Fujita-Rony, who writes on Filipino-American workers in Seattle, identified – this time, the 1920s and ’30s, as a period of profound violence against Filipinos in the United States.
—
Kyle Martin,
Mercury News,
15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for animus
Recent Examples of Synonyms for animus
Noun
-
Engelbert has consistently mismanaged the overt physical hostility directed at the league's biggest star.
-
Today, however, some experts suggest that explicit displays of racial hostility have become more visible in public spaces.
Noun
-
Colombia eventually outlasted Ghana to survive the first FIFA World Cup knockout round in Kansas City Stadium, also known as Arrowhead Stadium, but those at the watch parties didn’t seem to hold a grudge.
-
Within the first 10 minutes of the match on Monday, which was also the anniversary of that game, the Mexican fans reminded the world of their 12-year grudge against the Oranje.
Noun
-
The rivalry between the neighboring nations stretches back over 100 years on the pitch without ever being one that has slipped into hatred.
-
Proof that the babies aren’t born with hatred in their bellies and in their blood.
Cite this Entry
“Animus.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/animus. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
