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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite the public enmity between the two, Newsom reached out to the White House in hopes of working together on the creation of a $7.5-billion federal tax incentive to keep more productions in the U.S. Hollywood insiders have wanted a federal tax incentive program all along. Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025 The stakes of the negotiations couldn't be higher for the two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. Arkansas Online, 13 Apr. 2025 In the decades since, Iran-U.S. relations have see-sawed between enmity and grudging diplomacy, with relations peaking when Tehran made the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers before Trump withdrew from the deal, sparking more tensions in the Mideast that persist today. Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 12 Apr. 2025 This propensity to break not merely with conservatives but with Trump has now drawn enmity upon her head. Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enmity

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

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Enmity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enmity. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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!