enmity

noun en·mi·ty \ ˈen-mə-tē \

Definition of enmity

plural enmities

:positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

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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 of enmity from the Web

Cruz famously voted against the purportedly pork-laden measure, earning him the enduring enmity of Christie (and pretty much everyone else in New Jersey, including me).

— kevin riordan, Philly.com, "Christie has good reason to dis Cruz, but why suck up to Trump?," 30 Aug. 2017
Longtime Enmity Israel never accepted Iran’s assertion that its nuclear program -- temporarily curbed under the nuclear pact -- has no military component.

— david wainer, Bloomberg.com, "Israel Wants Seat at Table as Powers Seek End to Syria War," 23 Aug. 2017
The martinet head coach earned back-to-back last-place divisional finishes and the undying enmity of his players.

— jack dickey, SI.com, "The Seven NFL Preseason Hype Stories We See Season After Season After Season...," 23 Aug. 2017
Thus, for Democrats, one genuine risk of moving left is that doing so might invite the enmity of elite and corporate donors.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Democrats Can Abandon the Center — Because the Center Doesn’t Exist," 30 July 2017
This special report will seek to unravel the causes of this irrational enmity, and to explore the contrasting internal dynamics in both countries that sustain it.

— The Economist, "Hissing cousinsWhy India and Pakistan hate each other," 22 July 2017
Most of all, his desire to stay true to the Declaration of Independence and its promise of equality in an improved future, rather than an idealized past, is a reminder that Americans have defined themselves by more than their enmities.

— david waldstreicher, The Atlantic, "The Revival of John Quincy Adams," 11 July 2017
The matchup between one of baseball’s best teams and one of its worst is hardly a major headline, but now there’s some enmity between them with two games left in the series.

— gabriel baumgaertner, SI.com, "Three Strikes: Braves’ Mike Foltynewicz comes up just short of a no-no against the A’s," 1 July 2017
Determined to see Carthage restored to its former glory, Hamilcar made his eldest son, Hannibal, swear lifelong enmity to the republic.

— Smithsonian, "How (and Where) Did Hannibal Cross the Alps?," 28 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'enmity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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.

Origin and Etymology of enmity

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

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First Known Use: 13th century

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enmity Synonyms

Synonyms

animosity, animus, antagonism, antipathy, bad blood, bitterness, gall, grudge, hostility, jaundice, rancor

Antonyms

amity

Related Words

blood feud, feud, score, vendetta; hate, hatred, loathing; vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; alienation, disaffection, estrangement; conflict, coolness, discord, friction, strain, tension; inhospitableness, unfriendliness; malice, malignancy, malignity, spite, spitefulness, venom

Near Antonyms

amiability, amicability, civility, cordiality, friendliness, hospitality, neighborliness; comity, empathy, friendship, goodwill, sympathy, understanding

Synonym Discussion of 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.