An audience that is hostile to the speaker and the speaker's subject is called what?

• A. Favorable audience
• B. Neutral audience
• C. Audience analysis
• D. Opposed audience

Answer: (D)

When you think about how audiences respond in public speaking, attitudes can be favorable, neutral, or opposed. An audience that is hostile to both the speaker and the subject is called opposed. This label signals clear disagreement and resistance to the message, so the speaker would need to address objections directly, bolster credibility, and connect with the audience’s values to try to shift their stance.

A favorable audience would be supportive, making persuasion easier; a neutral audience is undecided and open but not yet convinced; and audience analysis is the process of studying these characteristics to plan the speech, not a type of audience.