enemy

[ en-uh-mee ]

noun

, plural en·e·mies.

1. a person who feels hatred for, fosters harmful designs against, or engages in antagonistic activities against another; an adversary or opponent.

   Synonyms: antagonist

   Antonyms: friend

2. an armed foe; an opposing military force:

   The army attacked the enemy at dawn.

   Antonyms: ally

3. a hostile nation or state.
4. a citizen of such a state.
5. enemies, persons, nations, etc., that are hostile to one another:

   Let's make up and stop being enemies.

6. something harmful or prejudicial:

   His unbridled ambition is his worst enemy.

7. the Enemy, the Devil; Satan.

adjective

1. belonging to a hostile power or to any of its nationals:

   enemy property.

2. Obsolete. inimical; ill-disposed.

enemy

/ ˈɛnəmɪ /

noun

1. a person hostile or opposed to a policy, cause, person, or group, esp one who actively tries to do damage; opponent
2. 1. an armed adversary; opposing military force
   2. ( as modifier )

      enemy aircraft

3. 1. a hostile nation or people
   2. ( as modifier )

      an enemy alien

4. something that harms or opposes; adversary

   courage is the enemy of failure

Grammar Note

See collective noun.

Other Words From

• non·ene·my noun plural nonenemies

Word History and Origins

Origin of enemy¹

First recorded in 1300–1350; Middle English enemi, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin inimicus “unfriendly,” equivalent to in- in- ³ + amicus “friendly, friend”; amicable

Word History and Origins

Origin of enemy¹

C13: from Old French enemi, from Latin inimīcus hostile, from in- ¹+ amīcus friend

Synonym Study

Enemy, foe refer to a dangerous public or personal adversary. Enemy emphasizes the idea of hostility: to overcome the enemy; a bitter enemy. Foe, a more literary word, may be used interchangeably with enemy, but emphasizes somewhat more the danger to be feared from such a one: deadly foe; arch foe of humankind ( the Devil ).

Example Sentences

She said Assad "is not the enemy of the United States because Syria does not pose a direct threat to the United States" - and defended meeting him in 2017, during Trump's first term.

From BBC

Carvalho, MP and Social Democratic spokesperson for legal policy, said she suffered "from the same ailment" as Brandberg, and told her: "We may have had many tough debates about conditions in working life, but on this issue we stand united against a common enemy."

From BBC

In one instance, Grasso alleged the lieutenant referred to her as an “enemy of the platoon,” a label he also applied to Colomey and others.

From Los Angeles Times

Roberts proceeded to name the “uni-party” as the real enemy, in a move that would have felt at home at one of Robert Kennedy Jr.’s campaign events, saying: “The institution in DC that stands in the way is not the Democrat Party or the Republican Party or just K Street. It is this antagonist known as the uni-party.”

From Salon

The enemy had removed and scattered their dog tags.

From BBC

Related Words

• adversary
• agent
• antagonist
• attacker
• bandit
• competitor
• criminal
• detractor
• foe
• guerrilla
• invader
• murderer
• opponent
• opposition
• prosecutor
• rebel
• rival
• spy
• terrorist
• traitor