enemy Meaning & Definition
What Does Enemy Mean?
As a noun, enemy means one that is antagonistic to another. It is also used to mean one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent.
Word Facts for Enemy
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈe-nə-mē/ |
| Syllables | 3 |
| Synonyms | opposition, opponent and foeman |
| Antonyms | ally, friend and confederate |
| Plural | enemies |
Enemy Definition (Noun)
- one that is antagonistic to another
- one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent
- something harmful or deadly
alcohol was his greatest enemy
- a military adversary
- a hostile unit or force
Synonyms of Enemy
Enemy synonyms and antonyms →Antonyms of Enemy
Enemy in a Sentence
under enemy duress
He made a lot of enemies after reducing the working hours in his department.
You may not want any enemies, but sometimes, your enemies choose you.
Rally together against a common enemy.
The building was destroyed by enemy bombing.
Crush the enemy!
alcohol was his greatest enemy
a beloved minister with no known enemies
Word Forms & Grammar
en·e·mies
enemies
enemy
enemy (plural enemies)
enemy (third-person singular simple present enemies, present participle enemying, simple past and past participle enemied)
Words That Rhyme With Enemy
Origin of Enemy
Origin 1: 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-:1 + amīcus "friendly, well-disposed, loving" amiable
Origin 2: From Middle English enemy, enemye, enmy, borrowed from Old French enemi, anemi (Modern French ennemi), from Latin inimīcus, from in- (“not”) + amīcus (“friend”). Displaced Middle English fend (“enemy”), from Old English fēond (“enemy”), which survived into Modern English as fiend, but with a different meaning. Doublet of inimic.
First Known Use
13th century
How to Pronounce Enemy
The standard pronunciation of enemy is /ˈe-nə-mē/, spoken in 3 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (e).
Questions People Ask About Enemy
What part of speech is enemy?
Enemy is a noun.
What is another word for enemy?
You can replace enemy with words such as opposition, opponent and foeman. See the full list of enemy synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of enemy?
Antonyms of enemy include ally, friend, confederate and amigo.
What is the plural of enemy?
The plural of enemy is enemies.