The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms INTRO ...

herd, troop, legion, body, assembly, assemblage, drove: The
rock group turned up with a host of followers, their so-called
groupies.
hostage n. pledge, security, surety, pawn, captive, prisoner, gage:
The terrorists threatened that if their demands were not met
they would kill the hostages.
hostile adj. 1 opposed, antagonistic, contrary, against, anti, adverse;
averse, loath: The government is hostile to curbs on business.
2 unfriendly, inimical, unsympathetic, cold, inhospitable;
unfavourable: Why do many social workers seem hostile to the
people they are supposed to help? The polar regions are very
hostile environments to man. 3 warring, belligerent, bellicose,
warlike, combative, militant, aggressive: The UN units function
as a buffer between the hostile forces.
hostility n. 1 antagonism, opposition, enmity, animosity, antipathy,
animus, ill will, malevolence, malice, aversion, unfriendliness:
Do you still harbour the feelings of hostility towards them that
you had during the war? The petty quarrels broke out into open
hostility. 2 hostilities. war, warfare, fighting, combat,
action, state of war, bloodshed: Hostilities ceased when the
factions agreed to parley.
hot adj. 1 fiery, white-hot, red-hot, piping hot, burning,
blistering, scorching, roasting, frying, sizzling, searing,
boiling, scalding, steaming, simmering, torrid, sweltering,
sultry, heated: The hot, molten steel is cast into ingots here.
During the day it is hot, but it cools down at night. 2 spicy,
peppery, sharp, piquant, pungent, biting, acrid: She likes very
hot food, with plenty of chilli. 3 intense, fervent, zealous,
ardent, enthusiastic, passionate, fervid, vehement, excited,
animated; impetuous, fiery, fierce, inflamed, sharp, violent:
He had some hot words with the foreman who had dismissed him. 4
eager, keen, avid, anxious, burning; intense, fervent, zealous,
ardent, enthusiastic, passionate, fervid, vehement, excited,
animated, earnest, Slang US gung-ho: Desmond set out in hot
pursuit of the thief. 5 recent, fresh, new, latest, brand-new:
The hottest gossip is that she is marrying for the seventh time.
6 popular, sought-after, commercial, saleable, marketable: The
publisher believes Zenobia's Memoirs to be the hot property of
the year. 7 lustful, lecherous, libidinous, lubricous or