Etymology From Middle English enemy, enemye, enmy, borrowed from Old French enemi, anemi (Modern French ennemi), from Latin inimīcus, from in- (“not”) + amīcus (“friend”). Displaced Middle English fend (“enemy”), from Old English fēond (“enemy”), which survived into Modern English as fiend, but with a different meaning. Doublet of inimic.
1
Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else.
under enemy duress
He made a lot of enemies after reducing the working hours in his department.
4 more examples
You may not want any enemies, but sometimes, your enemies choose you.
If you're not with me, then you're my enemy.2005, George Lucas, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, spoken by Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen):
Garrus: Fist knows you're coming. We'll have a better chance if we all work together. Wrex: My people have a saying: Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend.2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Citadel:
I am a known enemy and I cannot say more than I already said. And my books and my articles and my magazine- whatever could happen to the publication has already happened. What else? They can kill me. OK, you know, nobody promised me that I'm going to live forever.2022 March 13, Yevgenia Albats, 10:01 from the start, in Journalist risking jail to report from inside Russia speaks out, CNN:
2
A hostile force or nation; a fighting member of such a force or nation.
Rally together against a common enemy.
3
Something harmful or threatening to another
The very thing the 16 skiers and snowboarders had sought — fresh, soft snow — instantly became the enemy. Somewhere above, a pristine meadow cracked in the shape of a lightning bolt, slicing a slab nearly 200 feet across and 3 feet deep. Gravity did the rest.2012 December 26, John Branch, “Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 14 Nov 2013:
4
Of, by, relating to, or belonging to an enemy.
The building was destroyed by enemy bombing.
5
Video games A non-player character that tries to harm the player.
Use gadgets like Nakishkas to fend off enemies.2008, “Story Mode”, in Cory in the House: Instruction Booklet, Burbank, California: Disney Interactive Studios; Nintendo, page 8:
Etymology From Middle English enemy, enemye, enmy, borrowed from Old French enemi, anemi (Modern French ennemi), from Latin inimīcus, from in- (“not”) + amīcus (“friend”). Displaced Middle English fend (“enemy”), from Old English fēond (“enemy”), which survived into Modern English as fiend, but with a different meaning. Doublet of inimic.
1
To make an enemy of.
These prelates and nobles, seeing themselves dispossessed by the death of this king don Alfonso, to whom they had adhered, and enemied with the king don Enrique his brother, whom they had deserted, were in great fear, dreading the indignation of the king, whom by letters and words they had much injured; and they found no other remedy for their defense but to continue the division which they had begun in the realm, raising for queen of it the princess doña Isabel in place of her brother.1963, The Castles and the Crown: Spain, 1451-1555, page 51:
But rather the life He has lived People he met Befriended and enemied2009, Adam Stephen Alber, Greater Than My Thoughts: A Glimpse Of My Soul, page 64:
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Bureaucracy and wider features of a division of labor also facilitates the “othering” and “enemying” associated with systemic violence and makes possible the professionalization of atrocity.2014, Robert Shanafelt, Nathan W. Pino, Rethinking Serial Murder, Spree Killing, and Atrocities, page 184:
But these choices came with point values: friending someone who friended you gave each player fifteen points; friending someone who enemied you gave the enemy-er a whopping twenty-five points but lost the friend-er five points; and if both players enemied each other, both got five points.2016, Elif M. Gokcigdem, Fostering Empathy Through Museums, page 45: