animus

/'æniməs/

Friendly

Certainly! Let's break down the word "animus."

Definition

Animus (noun) refers to a feeling of hostility or a strong dislike towards someone or something. It can also mean a person's underlying intention or motivation behind their actions, especially if those actions are negative or aggressive.

Usage Instructions

• General Use: You typically use "animus" when discussing someone's negative feelings or intentions.
• Formal Context: It is often used in more formal writing or discussions, such as in literature, psychology, or legal contexts.

Examples

1. Negative Feelings: "The animus between the two rival teams was evident during the championship game."
2. Motivation: "His animus towards the policy change drove him to organize protests."

Advanced Usage

In more advanced contexts, "animus" can refer to a psychological concept, particularly in Jungian psychology, where it describes the inner masculine side of a woman. However, this usage is less common in everyday language.

Word Variants

• There are no direct variants of "animus" in terms of different forms (like verbs or adjectives), but you might encounter the plural form "animuses" or the Latin form "animi."

Different Meanings

• Psychological: As mentioned, in psychology, "animus" can refer to the inner masculine aspect of a woman, representing rationality and logic.
• Legal: In legal contexts, "animus" can refer to the intention behind an action, especially in cases of intent to harm.

Synonyms

Some synonyms for "animus" include: - Hostility - Antipathy - Enmity - Animosity - Malevolence

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

While "animus" does not have widely recognized idioms or phrasal verbs associated with it, you might encounter phrases that express similar feelings, such as: - "Bearing a grudge" (holding onto negative feelings about someone) - "Having it in for someone" (having a strong dislike or hostility towards someone)

Summary

In summary, "animus" is a noun that captures feelings of hostility or ill will. It can also refer to underlying intentions, especially negative ones.

Academic

Noun

1. a feeling of ill will arousing active hostility

Synonyms

• animosity
• bad blood