enemies

NOUN

someone hated or competed against

Synonyms

STRONGEST

adversary agent antagonist attacker bandit competitor criminal detractor foe guerrilla invader murderer opponent opposition prosecutor rebel rival spy terrorist traitor villain

STRONG

assailant assassin backbiter betrayer contender defamer defiler disputant emulator falsifier informer inquisitor revolutionary saboteur slanderer traducer vilifier

WEAK

archenemy asperser bad person calumniator fifth column other side seditionist

Antonyms

STRONGEST

ally associate friend helper law police supporter

WEAK

aide assistant confidante

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

enemies

And as the saying goes, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026

"Do not turn rivals into enemies," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Desperate for any advantage, the Night Court’s Inner Circle must scatter far and wide to face emerging past enemies and salvage Prythian’s fragile peace.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

I’m kidding: Even under normal circumstances, giving private companies this much power is likely to incentivize inventing enemies to fight or drive unnecessary spending.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

“Keep your friends close and enemies closer,” Axel says.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers