fjendtlige

Fjendtlige is a Danish adjective meaning hostile or antagonistic. It describes people, attitudes, statements, or environments that convey hostility or opposition. The term is used in formal and everyday language to characterize behavior, rhetoric, policies, or relations as unfriendly or adversarial.

Etymology: The word derives from fjende, meaning enemy, with the suffix -lig forming adjectives meaning “characterized by” or “tending to be.” The sense of hostility arises from the association with an enemy.

Forms and usage: In Danish, fjendtlige is the form used with plural nouns (for example, fjendtlige udtalelser, fjendtlige holdninger). The singular forms are fjendtlig (common gender) and fjendtligt (neuter). The word is commonly employed across contexts such as politics, workplace relations, media, and interpersonal dialogue to indicate deliberate or perceived hostility.

Examples: Fjendtlige udtalelser describe hostile statements; fjendtlige holdninger refer to hostile attitudes; et fjendtligt miljø describes a hostile environment. The term can apply to actions or policies framed as unfriendly or oppositional toward a group or individual.

Related terms: In other Scandinavian languages, cognates exist with similar meanings, such as fiendtlig or fiendtlighet in Norwegian, and fientlig in Swedish, all sharing the core sense of hostility or antagonism. The word remains a neutral descriptor in descriptive writing and journalism, avoiding value judgments beyond the stated hostility.