ad ‧ ver ‧ sa ‧ ry /ˈædvəs ə ri $ ˈædvərseri/ BrE AmE noun ( plural adversaries ) [countable]
formal a country or person you are fighting or competing against SYN opponent :
his old adversary
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THESAURUS
■ person
▪ enemy someone who does not like you because you have had a big disagreement with them in the past or someone who opposes you in business or politics:
If that’s how he treats his friends, I’d hate to be his enemy.
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In business, it’s best not to make too many enemies.
▪ adversary formal an enemy:
When he retired, he was replaced by his old adversary.
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He made the fatal mistake of underestimating his adversary.
▪ foe literary an enemy:
A guard called out ‘Who goes there – friend or foe?’
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his former foes
▪ arch enemy someone’s main enemy:
In the movie, Batman goes into battle with his arch enemy the Joker.
▪ opponent someone you are competing against, for example in a sports game, competition, or election:
You win the game if you are left with more cards than your opponent.
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He is admired even by his political opponents.
▪ nemesis written an enemy or opponent that is impossible to defeat – a rather formal use:
In the final, he met his old nemesis, Rafael Nadal.