/ ˈenəmi; NAmE / noun ( pl. -ies )
1.
[ C ] a person who hates sb or who acts or speaks against sb/sth :
He has a lot of enemies in the company.
After just one day, she had already made an enemy of her manager.
It is rare to find a prominent politician with few political enemies .
The state has a duty to protect its citizens against external enemies.
Birds are the natural enemies of many insect pests (= they kill them) .
—see also enmity
2.
the enemy [ sing.+ sing./pl. v . ] a country that you are fighting a war against; the soldiers, etc. of this country :
The enemy was / were forced to retreat.
enemy forces / aircraft / territory
behind enemy lines (= the area controlled by the enemy)
3.
[ C ] enemy (of sth) ( formal ) anything that harms sth or prevents it from being successful :
Poverty and ignorance are the enemies of progress.
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IDIOMS
see worst adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French enemi , from Latin inimicus , from in- not + amicus friend.