enmity

American  

[en-mi-tee] / ˈɛn mɪ ti /

noun

plural

enmities

1. a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.

   Synonyms:

   rancor, acrimony, malice

2. (in a video game) the targeting for attack of a player character by an enemy, and the circumstance-specific strength of that targeting for any particular character; hate; aggro: Use the character’s ranged attack to get enmity.

   Your tank needs to be spamming “Provoke” at that mob to increase his enmity, or else it’s going to turn and target your mages.

   Use the character’s ranged attack to get enmity.

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enmity British  

/ ˈɛnmɪtɪ /

noun

1. a feeling of hostility or ill will, as between enemies; antagonism

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Etymology

Origin of enmity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English enemite, enmite, from Old French enemi(s)tie, from unattested Vulgar Latin inimīcitāt- (stem of inimīcitās ), equivalent to Latin inimīc(us) “(personal ) enemy” + -itāt- abstract noun suffix; enemy, -ity

Explanation

Enmity means intense hostility. If you're a football fanatic, you feel enmity for your opposing team. Enmity comes from the same Latin root as enemy, and means the state of being an enemy. If you have always hated someone, you have a history of enmity with that person. Enmity is stronger than antagonism or animosity, which imply competitive feeling but don't go all the way to enemy status. Hopefully you are a peacemaker and don't experience too much enmity in your life.

Example Sentences

Despite a shared enmity for the United States and Israel, the Shiite and Sunni militias are bitter sectarian foes.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026

Burundi has been a natural ally of DR Congo for years because of its enmity with Rwanda.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

While the two men's enmity was never completely hidden, Newsom at least appeared to try a bipartisan hug that would keep the mercurial president involved in the costly recovery.

From Barron's • Nov. 8, 2025

In April, a Siberian court found a real-estate agent guilty of inciting hatred and enmity by urging women to marry soldiers for “self-interested reasons.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 5, 2025

He trotted through the sand, enduring the sun's enmity, crossed the platform and found his scattered clothes.

From "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding

Related Words

• acrimony
• alienation
• animosity
• animus
• antagonism
• antipathy
• bad blood
• bitterness
• dislike
• hatred
• hostility
• ill will
• loathing
• malice
• rancor