# enemy

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɛn.ə.mi/ · frequency rank #2,038

## Definitions
1. Someone who is hostile to, feels hatred towards, opposes the interests of, or intends injury to someone else.
2. A hostile force or nation; a fighting member of such a force or nation.
3. Something harmful or threatening to another
4. Of, by, relating to, or belonging to an enemy.
5. A non-player character that tries to harm the player.

## Etymology
From Middle English enemy, enemye, enmy, borrowed from Old French enemi, anemi (Modern French ennemi), from Latin inimīcus, from in- (“not”) + amīcus (“friend”). Displaced Middle English fend (“enemy”), from Old English fēond (“enemy”), which survived into Modern English as fiend, but with a different meaning. Doublet of inimic.

## Easily confused with
- **envy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/enemy-vs-envy)
- **every** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/enemy-vs-every)
- **enjoy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/enemy-vs-enjoy)
- **entry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/enemy-vs-entry)
- **envoy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/enemy-vs-envoy)
- **energy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/enemy-vs-energy)
- **Emmy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/emmy-vs-enemy)
- **emery** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/emery-vs-enemy)
- **edema** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/edema-vs-enemy)
- **enema** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/enema-vs-enemy)
- **elegy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/elegy-vs-enemy)

## Common misspellings (7)
`eenmy`, `enemmy`, `enemyy`, `eneym`, `enmey`, `ennemy`, `neemy`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/enemy