enemy
Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
en·e·my
(ĕn′ə-mē)n. pl. en·e·mies
1.
a. One who feels hatred toward, intends injury to, or opposes another; a foe.
b. One who opposes or is hostile to an idea or cause: an enemy of democracy.
c. Something destructive or injurious in its effects: "Art hath an enemy called Ignorance" (Ben Jonson).
2.
a. A hostile power or force, such as a nation.
b. A member or unit of such a force.
3. A group of foes or hostile forces. See Usage Note at collective noun.
adj.
Of, relating to, or being a hostile power or force.
[Middle English enemi, from Old French, from Latin inimīcus : in-, not; see in-1 + amīcus, friend.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
enemy
(ˈɛnəmɪ)n, pl -mies
1. a person hostile or opposed to a policy, cause, person, or group, esp one who actively tries to do damage; opponent
2. (Military)
a. an armed adversary; opposing military force
b. (as modifier): enemy aircraft.
3.
a. a hostile nation or people
b. (as modifier): an enemy alien.
4. something that harms or opposes; adversary: courage is the enemy of failure.
[C13: from Old French enemi, from Latin inimīcus hostile, from in-1 + amīcus friend]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
en•e•my
(ˈɛn ə mi)n., pl. -mies,
adj. n.
1. a person who hates, opposes, or fosters harmful designs against another; hostile opponent.
2. an opposing military force.
3. a ship, aircraft, etc., of such a force.
4. a hostile nation or state.
5. a citizen of such a state.
6. something harmful or prejudicial.
adj. 7. belonging to a hostile power or to any of its nationals: enemy property.
8. Obs. inimical; ill-disposed.
[1250–1300; < Old French < Latin inimicus unfriendly; =in- in-3 + amicus friendly, friend; see amicable]
usage: See collective noun.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  enemy - an opposing military force; "the enemy attacked at dawn"military force, military group, military unit, force - a unit that is part of some military service; "he sent Caesar a force of six thousand men" foe, foeman, enemy, opposition - an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force); "a soldier must be prepared to kill his enemies" |
| 2. |  enemy - an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force); "a soldier must be prepared to kill his enemies"enemy - an opposing military force; "the enemy attacked at dawn" armed forces, armed services, military, military machine, war machine - the military forces of a nation; "their military is the largest in the region"; "the military machine is the same one we faced in 1991 but now it is weaker" besieger - an enemy who lays siege to your position | |
| 3. | enemy - any hostile group of people; "he viewed lawyers as the real enemy" people - (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively; "old people"; "there were at least 200 people in the audience" | |
| 4. | enemy - a personal enemy; "they had been political foes for years" mortal enemy - an enemy who wants to kill you challenger, competitor, contender, rival, competition - the contestant you hope to defeat; "he had respect for his rivals"; "he wanted to know what the competition was doing" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
enemy
noun foe, rival, opponent, the opposition, competitor, the other side, adversary, antagonist His enemies were quick to take advantage of his weakness.
friend, ally, supporter, confederate, main man (slang, chiefly U.S.), cobber (Austral. or old-fashioned N.Z. informal)
friend, ally, supporter, confederate, main man (slang, chiefly U.S.), cobber (Austral. or old-fashioned N.Z. informal)
Related words
adjective inimical
adjective inimical
Quotations
"Pay attention to your enemies, for they are the first to discover your mistakes" [Antisthenes]
"You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you" [Eric Hoffer The Passionate State of Mind]
"A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies" [Oscar Wilde Lady Windermere's Fan]
"A very great man once said you should love your enemies, and that's not a bad piece of advice. We can love them, but, by God, that doesn't mean we're not going to fight them" [Norman Schwarzkopf]
"The enemy advances, we retreat."
"The enemy camps, we harass."
"The enemy tires, we attack."
"The enemy retreats, we pursue" [Mao Zedong slogan for his troops]
"We have met the enemy and he is us" [Walt Kelly Pogo]
"Yet is every man his own greatest enemy, and as it were his own executioner" [Thomas Browne Religio Medici]
"If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility" [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Driftwood]
"Pay attention to your enemies, for they are the first to discover your mistakes" [Antisthenes]
"You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you" [Eric Hoffer The Passionate State of Mind]
"A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies" [Oscar Wilde Lady Windermere's Fan]
"A very great man once said you should love your enemies, and that's not a bad piece of advice. We can love them, but, by God, that doesn't mean we're not going to fight them" [Norman Schwarzkopf]
"The enemy advances, we retreat."
"The enemy camps, we harass."
"The enemy tires, we attack."
"The enemy retreats, we pursue" [Mao Zedong slogan for his troops]
"We have met the enemy and he is us" [Walt Kelly Pogo]
"Yet is every man his own greatest enemy, and as it were his own executioner" [Thomas Browne Religio Medici]
"If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility" [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Driftwood]
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
enemy
nounThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
عدوعَدُوعَدُوّقُوات مُعادِيَه
врагнеприятелпротивник
nepřítel
fjendefjendtlig
malamiko
vihollinen
neprijateljneprijateljica
ellenség
óvinur
敵
원수
hostis
priešas
ienaidnieka-ienaidnieks
nepriateľ
sovražnik
fiende
ศัตรู
kẻ thù
enemy
[ˈenɪmɪ]A. N (= person) → enemigo/a m/f (Mil) → enemigo m
the enemy within → el enemigo en casa
to go over to the enemy → pasarse al enemigo
to make an enemy of sb → enemistarse con algn
he is his own worst enemy → su peor enemigo es él mismo
the enemy within → el enemigo en casa
to go over to the enemy → pasarse al enemigo
to make an enemy of sb → enemistarse con algn
he is his own worst enemy → su peor enemigo es él mismo
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
enemy
[ˈɛnəmi] n
(= opponent) → ennemi(e) m/f
an enemy of sb/sth → un ennemi de qn/qch
the enemy of sth → l'ennemi de qch
Capitalism is the enemy of progress → Le capitalisme est l'ennemi du progrès.
to make an enemy of sb → se faire un(e) ennemi(e) de qn, se mettre qn à dos
to be one's own worst enemy → être son pire ennemi public enemy
an enemy of sb/sth → un ennemi de qn/qch
the enemy of sth → l'ennemi de qch
Capitalism is the enemy of progress → Le capitalisme est l'ennemi du progrès.
to make an enemy of sb → se faire un(e) ennemi(e) de qn, se mettre qn à dos
to be one's own worst enemy → être son pire ennemi public enemy
(MILITARY) → ennemi(e) m/f
The enemy are all around us → L'ennemi nous encercle., Les ennemis nous encerclent.
The enemy are all around us → L'ennemi nous encercle., Les ennemis nous encerclent.
modif (MILITARY) [aircraft, tank, ship] → ennemi(e); [soldier, combatant, forces, troops] → ennemi(e)
enemy lines → lignes fpl ennemies
enemy fire → le feu de l'ennemi
to come under enemy fire → être pris(e) sous le feu de l'ennemi
enemy action → attaque f ennemie
enemy alien → ressortissant(e) d'un pays ennemi
the enemy camp (fig) → le camp ennemi
to go over to the enemy camp → passer à l'ennemienemy-occupied [ˌɛnəmiˈɒkjupaɪd] adj [territory, city] → occupé(e) par l'ennemi
enemy lines → lignes fpl ennemies
enemy fire → le feu de l'ennemi
to come under enemy fire → être pris(e) sous le feu de l'ennemi
enemy action → attaque f ennemie
enemy alien → ressortissant(e) d'un pays ennemi
the enemy camp (fig) → le camp ennemi
to go over to the enemy camp → passer à l'ennemienemy-occupied [ˌɛnəmiˈɒkjupaɪd] adj [territory, city] → occupé(e) par l'ennemi
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
enemy
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
enemy
[ˈɛnəmɪ]1. n (person) → nemico/a (Mil) → nemico
to make an enemy of sb → inimicarsi qn
he is his own worst enemy → è il peggior nemico di se stesso
to make an enemy of sb → inimicarsi qn
he is his own worst enemy → è il peggior nemico di se stesso
2. adj (territory, forces, aircraft) → nemico/a; (morale, strategy) → del nemico
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
enemy
(ˈenəmi) – plural ˈenemies – noun1. a person who hates or wishes to harm one. She is so good and kind that she has no enemies.
2. (also noun plural) troops, forces, a nation etc opposed to oneself in war etc. He's one of the enemy; The enemy was/were encamped on the hillside; (also adjective) enemy forces.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
enemy
→ عَدُوّ nepřítel fjende Feind εχθρός enemigo vihollinen ennemi neprijatelj nemico 敵 원수 vijand fiende nieprzyjaciel inimigo враг fiende ศัตรู düşman kẻ thù 敌人Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009