enemy

noun

ˈe-nə-mē How to pronounce enemy (audio)
Definition of enemynext
as in opponent
one that is hostile toward another a beloved minister with no known enemies

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of enemy Never look a gift horse in the mouth… unless it’s filled with enemy soldiers. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026 Odysseus gets into trouble in the first place by insulting the gods, thus making an enemy of Poseidon. — Jim Beckerman, USA Today, 16 July 2026 Though the Colonel had many enemies, the violence of his death shocks the sleepy village and starts the tongues of the local gossips wagging. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 July 2026 What drives her attempt to use female solidarity as a way to ingratiate herself with Priscilla, a woman who is seemingly her enemy? — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for enemy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enemy
  1. opponent
  2. foe
  3. hostile
Noun
  • Eustaquio chooses to cross into a central area and Bosnia clear the ball, but the idea — to draw opponents out and create an overload in one area — was sound.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
  • El Sayed peddled the claim that Stevens was bought by corporate interests and Israeli lobbyists, whereas Stevens insisted her primary opponent was benefiting from advertising money spent by the Republican Party.
    — David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 July 2026
Definition of opponent
Noun
  • Iran has proven to be a far more formidable foe than initially anticipated, and Keir Simmons tells me why the fight is over control of the Strait of Hormuz — not Iran’s nuclear program.
    — Yasmin Vossoughian, NBC news, 16 July 2026
  • Bovo, who resigned his post last year to join a lobbying firm, was a political foe of Hialeah’s current mayor, Bryan Calvo.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of foe
Noun
  • Energy costs, vanishing federal subsidies and an administration in Washington hostile to clean energy are giving officials reasons to retreat from efforts to deal with climate change and the political cover to do so.
    — Andres Clarens, The Conversation, 17 June 2026
  • During the recent demonstration test, the Bird of Prey took off from a launch cradle, and once in the air was able to autonomously search for, detect, and classify a target drone standing in for a hostile.
    — David Szondy April 04, New Atlas, 4 Apr. 2026
Definition of hostile

Browse Nearby Words

enemies
enemy
energetic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enemy. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of enemy for Spanish Speakers

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