enmity

noun

en·​mi·​ty ˈen-mə-tē How to pronounce enmity (audio)
plural enmities
: positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

Did you know?

Enmity and its synonyms "hostility," animosity, and animus all indicate deep-seated dislike or ill will. Enmity (which derives from an Anglo-French word meaning "enemy") suggests true hatred, either overt or concealed. Hostility implies strong, open enmity that shows itself in attacks or aggression. Animosity carries the sense of anger, vindictiveness, and sometimes the desire to destroy what one hates. Animus is generally less violent than animosity, but definitely conveys active prejudice or ill will.

Choose the Right Synonym for enmity

enmity, hostility, antipathy, antagonism, animosity, rancor, animus mean deep-seated dislike or ill will.

enmity suggests positive hatred which may be open or concealed.

an unspoken enmity

hostility suggests an enmity showing itself in attacks or aggression.

hostility between the two nations

antipathy and antagonism imply a natural or logical basis for one's hatred or dislike, antipathy suggesting repugnance, a desire to avoid or reject, and antagonism suggesting a clash of temperaments leading readily to hostility.

a natural antipathy for self-seekers
antagonism between the brothers

animosity suggests intense ill will and vindictiveness that threaten to kindle hostility.

animosity that led to revenge

rancor is especially applied to bitter brooding over a wrong.

rancor filled every line of his letters

animus adds to animosity the implication of strong prejudice.

objections devoid of personal animus

Examples of enmity in a Sentence

Bin Laden may no longer be supplying directions and funding, but his ethos of enmity lives on. Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 10 June 2002
What has earned her the enmity of so many peers is her indiscriminate outspokenness. Karen Springer, Newsweek, 10 June 1996
Battles over slavery in the territories broke the second party system apart and then shaped a realigned system that emphasized sectional enmity. Mary Beth Norton et al., A People and a Nation, 1988
There's a long history of enmity between them. His comments earned him the enmity of his coworkers. We need to put aside old enmities for the sake of peace.
Recent Examples on the Web The gun of Leonora’s lover, Alvaro, accidentally discharges, killing her father and bringing on the unyielding enmity of her brother, Carlo. Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Despite the enmity that some (erroneously) perceive between those two tribes, the luxury car marques are eager to be part of the cycling surge: Smart brands go where their customers are, and these customers are increasingly out on their bikes. Ben Oliver, Robb Report, 24 Feb. 2024 But even as pilots drop bombs and commandos flush out Hamas’s tunnels, the Israeli government has not reckoned with the enmity that produced the attack—or what policies might prevent another. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2024 As his obsession with Felix grows, Oliver becomes a family favorite but earns the enmity of Felix's malicious cousin, Farleigh (Archie Madekwe). Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023 Once their trust was broken, their enmity grew stronger even than their desire to succeed. Indrani Sen, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024 Standing atop a hill, moving his arm just a few degrees, Mr. Najm points out Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon, all visible, but separated from Beit Jann by enmity, borders, and politics. Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Jan. 2024 In recent decades, the reunification of the two Koreas has become increasingly unlikely as the economic gap between them widened and mutual enmity deepened. Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2024 His expansion of Jewish settlements — condemned by many nations as a violation of international law — has increased enmity and given anyone living in Gaza or the West Bank little hope for a two-state solution. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enmity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enmite, from Anglo-French enemité, enemisté, from enemi enemy

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of enmity was in the 13th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near enmity

Cite this Entry

“Enmity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enmity. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

enmity

noun
en·​mi·​ty ˈen-mət-ē How to pronounce enmity (audio)
plural enmities
: a very deep unfriendly feeling : hatred

More from Merriam-Webster on enmity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!