plural noun
People who are against you and may try to harm you or stop you.
The superhero faces many enemies in the city.
The two countries were once bitter enemies.
Good to know
The plural is spelled enemies, not enemys.
American English
How to pronounce enemies
nounB1Common word
EHnuhmeez
/ˈɛ.nə.miz/
3 syllables · Stress the first syllable.
Form of enemy
People who are against you and may try to harm you or stop you.
Practice out loudMeanings & examples
plural noun
Countries, armies, or groups that are fighting against your country, army, or group.
The soldiers identified the enemies near the border.
The aircraft attacked enemy forces before the enemies could advance.
plural noun
People or things that make it harder to achieve something.
Stress and poor sleep are enemies of good health.
Distractions can become enemies of your progress.
Useful expressions
to cause someone to become hostile toward you
He made an enemy of his manager.
a person or group that two or more people oppose together
The two groups united against a common enemy.
in an area controlled by the opposing army
The team operated behind enemy lines.
Related words & forms
The plural is enemies, not enemys.