enemy

noun

en·​e·​my ˈe-nə-mē 

plural enemies

1

: one that is antagonistic to another

especially : one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent

2

: something harmful or deadly

alcohol was his greatest enemy

3

a

: a military adversary

b

: a hostile unit or force

Synonyms

• opponent
• foe
• hostile

Examples of enemy in a Sentence

He made a lot of enemies during the course of his career.

Tradition is the enemy of progress.

Recent Examples on the Web

It’s often considered an enemy of development in the state due to its ability to slow projects to a grinding halt. —Kate Wolffe, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2025

After each round, a new hand is drawn from the deck, enemies perform their actions (and maybe more enemies appear), and action points reset. —Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025

Inside Iran, meanwhile, propaganda portraying Israel as the existential enemy has lost its grip, especially among the youth, who increasingly identify with human rights movements rather than government slogans. —Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 28 June 2025

Sandwich’s enemies exploited these darker associations to the max. —Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 28 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English enmy, enemi, borrowed from Anglo-French enemi, going back to Latin inimīcus, noun derivative of inimīcus, adjective, "of an opponent, unfriendly, hostile," from in- in- entry 1 + amīcus "friendly, well-disposed, loving" — more at amiable

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing enemy

• behind enemy lines
• enemy territory
• mortal enemy
• public enemy number one

Kids Definition

enemy

noun

en·​e·​my ˈen-ə-mē 

plural enemies

1

: one that tries to hurt or overthrow or that seeks the failure of another

2

: something that harms

3

a

: a nation with which a country is at war

b

: a military force or a person belonging to such a nation

Etymology

Middle English enemi "enemy," from early French enemi (same meaning), from Latin inimicus (same meaning), from in- "not" and amicus "friend"