Definition

Noun 1. A person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something: An individual who feels hatred toward, intends injury to, or opposes the interests of another person or group. 2. A hostile nation or its military forces in time of war: The military force or opposing country engaged in armed conflict. 3. A thing that harms or weakens something else: Something that is damaging or detrimental to a person, system, or cause.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Personal Adversary):
  • He considered his former business partner his greatest enemy.
  • She made an enemy by speaking out against the popular opinion.
• Noun (Military/National Adversary):
  • The soldiers advanced cautiously into enemy territory.
  • Our planes successfully engaged the enemy at dawn.
• Noun (Harmful Force or Influence):
  • Procrastination is the enemy of success.
  • The common enemy of all the villagers was the drought.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "The enemy": Used as a collective noun to refer to the opposing force as a single entity, especially in a military context.
  • The general's strategy was to divide the enemy.
• "Public enemy": A person or thing considered to be a serious threat to society.
  • The corrupt official was declared a public enemy.
• "To be one's own worst enemy": To cause problems for oneself through one's own actions or character flaws.
  • With his terrible temper, he is often his own worst enemy.

Variants and Related Words

• Enmity (noun): The state or feeling of being actively opposed or hostile.
  • There was deep enmity between the two rival families.

Synonyms

• Foe: (Formal/literary) An enemy or opponent.
• Adversary: An opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute.
• Opponent: A person who competes against or fights another in a contest, game, or argument.
• Rival: A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field.

Antonyms

• Friend
• Ally
• Supporter

Idioms and Common Phrases

• "The enemy of my enemy is my friend": A proverb stating that two parties can cooperate against a common adversary, even if they are not naturally aligned.
• "Enemy at the gates": A phrase indicating that a dangerous threat is very close or imminent.
  • With the scandal breaking, the CEO felt like there was an enemy at the gates.

Noun

1. a personal enemy
   • they had been political foes for years
2. any hostile group of people
   • he viewed lawyers as the real enemy
3. an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)
   • a soldier must be prepared to kill his enemies
4. an opposing military force
   • the enemy attacked at dawn