plural enemies
1
: one that is antagonistic to another
especially
: one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent
2
: something harmful or deadly
alcohol was his greatest enemy
3
a
: a military adversary
b
: a hostile unit or force
Examples of enemy in a Sentence
He made a lot of enemies during the course of his career.
Tradition is the enemy of progress.
Recent Examples on the Web
Our job is to give readers an independent, verifiable account of what’s happening, even if the president is calling us enemies of the people or bloodsuckers.
—
Stephen Engelberg, ProPublica, 6 Nov. 2024
Loos uses a specific enemy, the Aeshi Nero, as a prime example of what the team is going for.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
Mann was aiming at his brother Heinrich, a novelist and an essayist of nearly equal renown, whose liberal politics led him to support Germany’s enemies, France and Britain.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
When emotions run high during election seasons, investors can become their own worst enemies, veering off course from their long-term goals.
—John Buckingham, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enemy 
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Stephen Engelberg, ProPublica, 6 Nov. 2024
Loos uses a specific enemy, the Aeshi Nero, as a prime example of what the team is going for.
—Jason Fanelli, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024
Mann was aiming at his brother Heinrich, a novelist and an essayist of nearly equal renown, whose liberal politics led him to support Germany’s enemies, France and Britain.
—George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
When emotions run high during election seasons, investors can become their own worst enemies, veering off course from their long-term goals.
—John Buckingham, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for enemy
Dictionary Entries Near enemy
Cite this Entry
“Enemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enemy. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
enemy
noun
en·e·my
ˈen-ə-mē 
plural enemies
1
: one that tries to hurt or overthrow or that seeks the failure of another
2
: something that harms
3
a
: a nation with which a country is at war
b
: a military force or a person belonging to such a nation
Etymology
Middle English enemi "enemy," from early French enemi (same meaning), from Latin inimicus (same meaning), from in- "not" and amicus "friend"
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