enmity

[en-mi-tee]

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.

enmity

/ ˈɛnmɪtɪ /

noun

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of enmity¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of enmity¹

C13: from Old French enemistié, from enemi _enemy

Example Sentences

This is an opportunity to reverse seven decades of enmity.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.

Read more on Barron's

Given the enmity of those countries—the U.S.,

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But on Wednesday, the Russian and Syrian leaders sat down together for the first time, putting pragmatism ahead of past enmity.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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