enemy
Americannoun
-
enemies
plural
-
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
-
an armed foe; an opposing military force.
The army attacked the enemy at dawn.
- Antonyms:
- ally
-
a hostile nation or state.
-
a citizen of such a state.
-
enemies, persons, nations, etc., that are hostile to one another.
Let's make up and stop being enemies.
-
something harmful or prejudicial.
His unbridled ambition is his worst enemy.
-
the Enemy, the Devil; Satan.
adjective
-
belonging to a hostile power or to any of its nationals.
enemy property.
-
Obsolete. inimical; ill-disposed.
noun
-
a person hostile or opposed to a policy, cause, person, or group, esp one who actively tries to do damage; opponent
-
-
an armed adversary; opposing military force
-
( as modifier )
enemy aircraft
-
-
-
a hostile nation or people
-
( as modifier )
an enemy alien
-
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something that harms or opposes; adversary
courage is the enemy of failure
Grammar
See collective noun.
Synonym Usage
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 ).
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of enemy
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”; see amicable
Explanation
An enemy is a hostile opponent, like your sworn Scrabble enemy who vows to get revenge on your last triple word score. An enemy is a person who actively opposes someone or something. The Latin word inimicus, meaning "hostile, unfriendly," is the root of enemy, and it comes from the prefix in-, or "not," and amicus, "friend:" an enemy is "not a friend." When two armies fight each other, they both think of the opposing army as the enemy.
Vocabulary lists containing enemy
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"Who Was Davy Crockett?"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The program, designed to use satellites to track enemy missiles and aircraft, would be worth billions of dollars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
The people in power—officers and civilians—seem to have ignored the possibility that the enemy would attack our weakest links, in this case the supply hubs.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
In a Facebook post shortly after his dismissal, Fedorov listed his achievements and said he would "continue... to defeat the enemy through asymmetry, speed of innovation, and organisational strength".
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The Israeli military is touted as the most powerful in the Middle East, striking targets deep into enemy territory.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
This would make them easier for the enemy to track.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
"Do not turn rivals into enemies," he said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
By 2024, the Times would later admit, his enemies had metamorphosed him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
Gen and Casey aren’t enemies, but they’re not exactly friends, either.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
During that time, he made a slew of enemies — from mob figures who accused him of fabricating evidence to fellow law enforcement officials who described him as a glory-seeking loose cannon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
In this period, the Army and the Navy were fierce rivals, often acting more like enemies than allies.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
