enemy

Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else.

Noun

  1. Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else.
    • under enemy duress
    • He made a lot of enemies after reducing the working hours in his department.
    • You may not want any enemies, but sometimes, your enemies choose you.

    Synonyms: foe unfriend adversary nemesis backfriend

    Antonyms: ally friend

  2. A hostile force or nation; a fighting member of such a force or nation.
    • Rally together against a common enemy.

    Synonyms: foe adversary nemesis

    Antonyms: ally friend

  3. Something harmful or threatening to another
    • The very thing the 16 skiers and snowboarders had sought — fresh, soft snow — instantly became the enemy. Somewhere above, a pristine meadow cracked in the shape of a lightning bolt, slicing a slab nearly 200 feet...
  4. Of, by, relating to, or belonging to an enemy.
    • The building was destroyed by enemy bombing.
  5. A non-player character that tries to harm the player.
    • Use gadgets like Nakishkas to fend off enemies. - 2008, “Story Mode”, in Cory in the House: Instruction Booklet, Burbank, California: Disney Interactive Studios; Nintendo, page 8:

    Synonyms: mob

Origin

From Middle English enemy, enemye, enmy, borrowed from Old French enemi, anemi (Modern French ennemi), from Latin inimīcus, from in- (“not”) + amīcus (“friend”). Displaced Middle English fend (“enemy”), from Old English fēond (“enemy”), which survived into Modern English as fiend, but with a different meaning. Doublet of inimic.

Forms

enemies enemie

Synonyms

adversary antagonist backfriend bane bête noire corrival enemy fiend foe foeman unfriend nemesis opponent opposer rival

Antonyms

accomplice ally friend pal partner supporter

Hypernyms

person

Hyponyms

archenemy archfoe archrival assailant attacker asperser combatant hostile invader calumniator defamer detractor ill-wisher

Related

enmity inimical nemesis frenemy villain

Derived

archenemy be one's own worst enemy better is the enemy of good class enemy enemedia enemy action enemy combatant enemydom enemyhood enemy image enemyism enemyless enemy-like enemylike enemy line enemyness enemy of the people enemy of the state enemyship enemyslash enemywise frenemy how goes the enemy let the perfect be the enemy of the good

Verb

  1. To make an enemy of.
    • These prelates and nobles, seeing themselves dispossessed by the death of this king don Alfonso, to whom they had adhered, and enemied with the king don Enrique his brother, whom they had deserted, were in great fear,...
    • But rather the life He has lived People he met Befriended and enemied - 2009, Adam Stephen Alber, Greater Than My Thoughts: A Glimpse Of My Soul, page 64:
    • Bureaucracy and wider features of a division of labor also facilitates the “othering” and “enemying” associated with systemic violence and makes possible the professionalization of atrocity. - 2014, Robert Shanafelt,...

Forms

enemies enemying enemied enemie