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Enmity and its synonyms "hostility," animosity, and animus all indicate deep-seated dislike or ill will. Enmity (which derives from an Anglo-French word meaning "enemy") suggests true hatred, either overt or concealed. Hostility implies strong, open enmity that shows itself in attacks or aggression. Animosity carries the sense of anger, vindictiveness, and sometimes the desire to destroy what one hates. Animus is generally less violent than animosity, but definitely conveys active prejudice or ill will.
Examples of enmity in a Sentence
Bin Laden may no longer be supplying directions and funding, but his ethos of enmity lives on.
—
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 10 June 2002
What has earned her the enmity of so many peers is her indiscriminate outspokenness.
—Karen Springer, Newsweek, 10 June 1996
Battles over slavery in the territories broke the second party system apart and then shaped a realigned system that emphasized sectional enmity.
—Mary Beth Norton et al., A People and a Nation, 1988
There's a long history of enmity between them.
His comments earned him the enmity of his coworkers.
We need to put aside old enmities for the sake of peace.
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 10 June 2002
What has earned her the enmity of so many peers is her indiscriminate outspokenness.
—Karen Springer, Newsweek, 10 June 1996
Battles over slavery in the territories broke the second party system apart and then shaped a realigned system that emphasized sectional enmity.
—Mary Beth Norton et al., A People and a Nation, 1988
There's a long history of enmity between them.
His comments earned him the enmity of his coworkers.
We need to put aside old enmities for the sake of peace.
Recent Examples on the Web
On a hot streak, Predator and Die Hard director John McTiernan keeps ratcheting up the tension as his two leads get closer to each other, building to a climax that, at the time at least, played like a farewell to American and Russian enmity.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
Zoom out: The current enmity for DEI was on display this week in the congressional hearings for President-elect Trump's Cabinet nominees.
—Emily Peck, Axios, 17 Jan. 2025
Trump’s vituperative persona, his enmity toward multilateralism, and his extreme policy agenda could easily sink the United States’ prospects for meaningful leadership of the G-20.
—Leslie Vinjamuri, Foreign Affairs, 15 Nov. 2024
However, enmity certainly looked like the consensus − public − wisdom on Russia during the Biden administration.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enmity
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Keith Phipps, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2025
Zoom out: The current enmity for DEI was on display this week in the congressional hearings for President-elect Trump's Cabinet nominees.
—Emily Peck, Axios, 17 Jan. 2025
Trump’s vituperative persona, his enmity toward multilateralism, and his extreme policy agenda could easily sink the United States’ prospects for meaningful leadership of the G-20.
—Leslie Vinjamuri, Foreign Affairs, 15 Nov. 2024
However, enmity certainly looked like the consensus − public − wisdom on Russia during the Biden administration.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for enmity
Cite this Entry
“Enmity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enmity. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
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