enemy
enemy
/ˈenəmi/
(plural enemies)
1 countable a person who hates somebody or who acts or speaks against somebody/something She didn't have an enemy in the world.
He has a lot of enemies in the company.
After just one day, she had already made an enemy of her manager.
They united in the face of a common enemy.
They used to be friends but they are now sworn enemies (= are determined not to become friends again).
James Moriarty was Sherlock Holmes's mortal enemy.
It is rare to find a prominent politician with few political enemies.
The state has a duty to protect its citizens against external enemies.
Birds are the natural enemies of many insect pests (= they kill them).
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
‘We will defeat the enemies of freedom,’ said the president.
SEE ALSO enmity
Collocations Dictionary
adjective
bitterdeadlygreat…
verb + enemy
havemakeattack…
enemy + verb
attack somebody/something
enemy + noun
armyforcessoldiers…
preposition
against an/the enemyenemy of
phrases
your own worst enemyfall into enemy handsin the face of the enemy…
The enemy was/were forced to retreat.
to fight/defeat the enemy
enemy forces/combatants
The men came under enemy fire.
They were dropped by parachute behind enemy lines (= in the area controlled by the enemy).
3 countable (formal) anything that harms something or prevents it from being successful Poverty and ignorance are the enemies of progress.
Idioms