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

There appears to be no underestimation of the enemy’s potential. —Chicago Tribune, 2 June 2024

Kathy Griffin crying 'tears of joy' over conviction of former and forever enemy Donald Trump Legal correspondent Jake Byrd reported from Trump-supporter protests in New York in a segment after the monologue. —Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 31 May 2024

Then, on the morning of the 10th, the company was told to head out on a reconnaissance mission to investigate reports of enemy activity. —Alex Traub, New York Times, 31 May 2024

Nearly 100,000 Japanese Americans were detained by the U.S. government during World War II, deemed enemies as the U.S. fought Japan. —Juju Chang, ABC News, 31 May 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
• mortal enemy
• public enemy number one

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"