enemy

noun

en·​e·​my ˈe-nə-mē 

plural enemies

1

: one that is antagonistic to another

especially : one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent

2

: something harmful or deadly

alcohol was his greatest enemy

3

a

: a military adversary

b

: a hostile unit or force

Synonyms

• adversary
• antagonist
• foe
• hostile
• opponent

Examples of enemy in a Sentence

He made a lot of enemies during the course of his career.

Tradition is the enemy of progress.

Recent Examples on the Web

No one—not a kingpin, cop, dealer, enemy or shrink—wanted wild on their hands. —Lizz Schumer, Peoplemag, 13 Apr. 2024

Smart players can use that ability to toss enemies at each other. —Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024

The German response offers a model for other Western countries to follow when the Islamic Republic violates their sovereignty in order to persecute its enemies. —Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 Apr. 2024

Puckett sprinted across the open area to draw fire so that Rangers could find and destroy enemy machine-gunners. —CBS News, 10 Apr. 2024

Movies and television have always been the best of enemies. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 10 Apr. 2024

But for all this power, The Final Shape will also include some new enemies. —Tom Warren, The Verge, 9 Apr. 2024

The rival parties competed for swing voters by playing up their enemies’ gaffes and past remarks. —Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2024

The last shot of the series features all of Larry’s main friends and enemies — Richard, Susie, Jeff, Leon, Jerry, his ex Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), and her boyfriend Ted Danson — all on a plane arguing. —Esther Zuckerman, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enmy, enemi, borrowed from Anglo-French enemi, going back to Latin inimīcus, noun derivative of inimīcus, adjective, "of an opponent, unfriendly, hostile," from in- in- entry 1 + amīcus "friendly, well-disposed, loving" — more at amiable

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing enemy

• behind enemy lines
• enemy territory
• public enemy number one
• mortal enemy

Kids Definition

enemy

noun

en·​e·​my ˈen-ə-mē 

plural enemies

1

: one that tries to hurt or overthrow or that seeks the failure of another

2

: something that harms

3

a

: a nation with which a country is at war

b

: a military force or a person belonging to such a nation

Etymology

Middle English enemi "enemy," from early French enemi (same meaning), from Latin inimicus (same meaning), from in- "not" and amicus "friend"