en ‧ e ‧ my W2 /ˈenəmi/ BrE AmE noun ( plural enemies ) [countable]
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: enemi , from Latin inimicus , from amicus 'friend' ]
1 . someone who hates you and wants to harm you:
She’s a dangerous enemy to have.
Cats and dogs have always been natural enemies.
an old enemy of her father
make an enemy (of somebody)
a ruthless businessman who made a lot of enemies
the unforgettable sight of the president shaking hands with his sworn enemy (=an enemy you will always hate)
sb’s worst enemy (=the person they hate most)
I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.
2 . someone who opposes or competes against you:
political enemies
He was imprisoned for being ‘an enemy of the revolution’.
3 . ( also the enemy ) the country against which your country is fighting in a war:
He was accused of collaboration with the enemy.
enemy forces/aircraft/territory etc
a town behind enemy lines
GRAMMAR
In British English, you can use either a singular verb or a plural verb after the enemy :
▪
The enemy has OR have suffered a major defeat.
4 . something that people think is harmful or damaging:
The usual enemies, cigarettes and alcohol, are targeted for tax rises.
The common enemy that united them was communism.
5 . be your own worst enemy to behave in a way that causes problems for yourself
6 . public enemy number one informal someone famous who has done something bad and who a lot of people do not like:
His views made him public enemy number one in the eyes of the media.
7 . the enemy within people in a society etc that other people think are trying to secretly destroy or damage it:
efforts to label environmentalists as the enemy within
8 . if one thing is the enemy of another, the second thing cannot exist because the first thing destroys it:
Boredom is the enemy of learning.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1, 2 & 3)
■ adjectives
▪ a great enemy
Henry prepared to fight his great enemy, the king of France.
▪ a main/biggest/greatest enemy
Terrorism is our country’s main enemy.
▪ an arch enemy (=main enemy, used for emphasis)
The comic book character Lex Luthor is Superman’s arch enemy.
▪ bitter enemies (=enemies who hate each other very much)
When these former friends quarrelled over money, they became bitter enemies.
▪ sworn enemies (=enemies who will always hate each other)
The men have been sworn enemies for many years.
▪ a formidable enemy (=a very powerful enemy)
The North Vietnamese army proved to be a formidable enemy.
▪ deadly enemies (=enemies who try to harm each other as much as possible)
France and Germany, once deadly enemies, are now partners in the European Union.
▪ an old/traditional enemy (=one you have had a long time)
In 1548, Scotland moved towards an alliance with her traditional enemy, England.
▪ a common enemy (=one shared by groups of people)
We must work together against the common enemy.
▪ a political enemy
the prime minister’s political enemies
■ verbs
▪ make enemies (=become unfriendly with people)
During her long and turbulent career, she made many enemies.
▪ defend/protect yourself from your enemies
Our country has a right to protect itself from its enemies.
▪ defeat the enemy
We will never defeat our enemies unless we stop fighting each other.
■ nouns
▪ an enemy force (=a military group that is your enemy)
The town is occupied by enemy forces.
▪ an enemy position (=a place controlled by an enemy army)
General Hunt ordered an air strike on the enemy positions.
■ phrases
▪ behind enemy lines (=behind the edge of an area that is controlled by an enemy army)
Men from the First Airborne Division were dropped behind enemy lines.
• • •
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.
■ country/army
▪ enemy a country or army that you are fighting against in a war:
Soldiers who were captured by the enemy suffered terribly.
▪ foe written an enemy:
The Russian Army were a formidable foe.