enemy

English Online Dictionary. What means enemy‎? What does enemy mean?

English

Alternative forms

• enemie (obsolete)

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 feend (“enemy”), from Old English fēond (“enemy”), which survived into Modern English as fiend, but with a different meaning.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛnəmi/
• Hyphenation: en‧e‧my

Noun

enemy (plural enemies)

1. Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else.

   Synonyms: foe, unfriend, adversary, nemesis, backfriend

   Antonyms: ally, friend
2. A hostile force or nation; a fighting member of such a force or nation.

   Synonyms: foe, adversary, nemesis

   Antonyms: ally, friend

3. Something harmful or threatening to another
4. (attributive) Of, by, relating to, or belonging to an enemy.

5. (video games) A non-player character that tries to harm the player.

   Synonym: mob

Usage notes

• Singular and plural verbs can be used interchangeably when referring to sense 2, e.g. the enemy are retreating vs. the enemy is retreating.

Derived terms

Related terms

• enmity
• inimical

Translations

See also

• nemesis

Verb

enemy (third-person singular simple present enemies, present participle enemying, simple past and past participle enemied)

1. To make an enemy of.

Anagrams

• Yemen, yemen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• anemie, elmy, enemi, enemye, enimy, enme, enmie, enmij, enmy, enmye, enmye, enymy

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French enemi, anemi, from Latin inimīcus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛnɛmiː/, /ˈɛnmiː/

Noun

enemy (plural enemys)

1. An enemy, foe, or adversary:
   1. An opponent of the true religion.
   2. A hostile combatant.
   3. (Christianity) The Devil; Satan.
2. A malign or hostile force.
3. Hostility; enmity.

Related terms

• enemyte

Descendants

• English: enemy
• Scots: enemy

References

• “enemī, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old French

Noun

enemy oblique singular, m (oblique plural enemys, nominative singular enemys, nominative plural enemy)

1. Alternative form of enemi

Descendants

• → English: enemy