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
The Past Battle cries: How ancient soldiers used sound to frighten and confuse their enemies
Bloodcurdling war cries, shrieking elephants, and whistling arrows all made soldiers flee in terror.
—
Big Think, 24 June 2024
During a mission to take down the illusive super criminal Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster), Amy develops an attraction to the enemy and finds her loyalties tested.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 June 2024
The worst enemy of the Cuban fish is a species introduced for food in 1999 that has since conquered all of mainland Cuba and the Isle of Youth.
—Discover Magazine, 20 June 2024
As head of state, Moïse had no shortage of political enemies.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for enemy 
Big Think, 24 June 2024
During a mission to take down the illusive super criminal Lucy Diamond (Jordana Brewster), Amy develops an attraction to the enemy and finds her loyalties tested.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 23 June 2024
The worst enemy of the Cuban fish is a species introduced for food in 1999 that has since conquered all of mainland Cuba and the Isle of Youth.
—Discover Magazine, 20 June 2024
As head of state, Moïse had no shortage of political enemies.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for enemy
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'enemy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near enemy
Cite this Entry
“Enemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enemy. Accessed 2 Jul. 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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