mortal enemy
noun
: someone one hates very much and for a long time
They've been mortal enemies for many years.
Examples of mortal enemy in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Tens of millions of Russians, including senior officials and many of the country’s wealthiest people, now view the West as a mortal enemy.
—
Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
While Cheeto treats the fabric feline like a mortal enemy, Romeow lounges on the counter, casting the occasional glance but remaining perfectly calm.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Unlike Gi-hun, the audience is in on the secret that Player 001 is actually a mortal enemy.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Dec. 2024
Not your best friend, your mortal enemy, Ran Carthon and Amy Adams Strunk or either of the Mike Myers characters on my wall.
—Nick Suss, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
The government of Turkey, a member of NATO, identifies with the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt and Saudi Arabia regard as a mortal enemy.
—Michael Mandelbaum, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019
Yeah, that's Ross's daughter, making Bruce Banner Ross's mortal enemy and father-in-law.
—Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2024
Check out our new ghost-pepper chip that’s better than the one made by our new mortal enemy, Trader Joe’s!
—Brandon Follick, The New Yorker, 27 June 2024
Those yelling the loudest that Russia is a mortal enemy of the United States and that Trump is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s puppet are the very same people who woefully mismanaged U.S. foreign policy over the past quarter century.
—Randall Schweller, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2018
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.
Alexander Gabuev, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2025
While Cheeto treats the fabric feline like a mortal enemy, Romeow lounges on the counter, casting the occasional glance but remaining perfectly calm.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Unlike Gi-hun, the audience is in on the secret that Player 001 is actually a mortal enemy.
—Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Dec. 2024
Not your best friend, your mortal enemy, Ran Carthon and Amy Adams Strunk or either of the Mike Myers characters on my wall.
—Nick Suss, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
The government of Turkey, a member of NATO, identifies with the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt and Saudi Arabia regard as a mortal enemy.
—Michael Mandelbaum, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2019
Yeah, that's Ross's daughter, making Bruce Banner Ross's mortal enemy and father-in-law.
—Meredith G. White, The Arizona Republic, 12 July 2024
Check out our new ghost-pepper chip that’s better than the one made by our new mortal enemy, Trader Joe’s!
—Brandon Follick, The New Yorker, 27 June 2024
Those yelling the loudest that Russia is a mortal enemy of the United States and that Trump is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s puppet are the very same people who woefully mismanaged U.S. foreign policy over the past quarter century.
—Randall Schweller, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Mortal enemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mortal%20enemy. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share