English Explanatory Dictionary

enemy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else.
  2. A hostile force or nation; a fighting member of such a force or nation.
  3. Something harmful or threatening to another
  4. Of, by, relating to, or belonging to an enemy.
  5. A non-player character that tries to harm the player.
verb
  1. To make an enemy of.

Pronunciation

/ˈɛnəmi/ en-us-enemy.ogg /ˈenəmi/ /ˈɛnəme/ /-mɪ/ /-mi/ /ˈɛnɪmi/

Word forms

enemy enemies enemie enemying enemied

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

adversary antagonist backfriend bane bête noire corrival enemy fiend foe foeman unfriend nemesis opponent opposer rival mob

Antonyms

accomplice ally friend pal partner supporter

Related words

enmity inimical nemesis frenemy villain

Derived words

archenemy be one's own worst enemy better is the enemy of good class enemy enemedia enemy action enemy combatant enemydom enemyhood enemy image enemyism enemyless enemy-like enemylike enemy line enemyness enemy of the people enemy of the state enemyship enemyslash enemywise frenemy how goes the enemy let the perfect be the enemy of the good make the perfect the enemy of the good my enemy's enemy is my friend nonenemy no plan survives contact with the enemy perfection is the enemy of good perfect is the enemy of good perfect is the enemy of good enough public enemy public enemy number one the best is the enemy of the good the better is the enemy of the good the enemy of my enemy is my friend the enemy of your enemy is your friend the perfect is the enemy of the good worst enemy
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on E Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary