animus.

1. Hostility or ill will directed toward someone or something.

2. An intention or guiding purpose behind an action.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• personal animus
• animus against

On the page

He denied any personal animus against the witness.

The letter's animus showed most clearly in what it refused to praise.

Usage notes

Primary category: psychological / character. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.