# enemy

/ˈɛnəmi/ (US) · /ˈɛnəmi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/enemy
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. personal opponent

noun · CEFR B1

someone who hates you or actively works against you.

For teachers: an individual who feels hatred toward or seeks to harm another person.

- He made a powerful enemy when he told the truth about his boss.
- In politics, today's bitter enemy can easily become tomorrow's closest ally if their interests happen to align.

### 2. military opponent

noun · CEFR B1

a country or army that your country is fighting against in a war.

For teachers: a hostile nation or military force, or a member of such a force.

- The soldiers were ordered to watch for any sign of the enemy.
- The general refused to underestimate the enemy, knowing they had superior knowledge of the mountain terrain.

### 3. harmful thing

noun · CEFR B2

something that is dangerous or bad for you.

For teachers: an abstract force or condition that is harmful or threatening to someone or something.

- When you are trying to finish a project, time is your biggest enemy.
- Complacency is often the greatest enemy of progress in large, successful corporations.

### 4. video games

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a character in a game that tries to hurt your character.

For teachers: a non-player character (NPC) programmed to attack or hinder the player.

- I lost the game because too many enemies appeared at once.
- The developers increased the difficulty by giving the enemies better artificial intelligence and faster reaction times.

### 5. belonging to an opponent

adjective · CEFR B2

used to describe things that belong to the person or army you are fighting.

For teachers: relating to or belonging to a hostile force; used attributively before a noun.

- The pilot managed to land the plane safely behind enemy lines.
- The diplomat was careful not to reveal sensitive information while visiting the enemy capital.

## Examples

- The two countries have been enemies for decades.
- In the movie, the hero must work with his former enemy to save the city from a greater threat.
- Political commentators noted that the candidate's aggressive rhetoric turned potential allies into bitter enemies, ultimately costing him the support of the moderate voters.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.