enemy
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++en·e·my /ˈenəmi/ ●●● W2 noun (plural enemies) [countable] 1 ENEMYsomeone who hates you and wants to harm you 敌人，仇敌 She’s a dangerous enemy to have. 与她为敌很危险。 Cats and dogs have always been natural enemies. 猫和狗向来是天敌。 an old enemy of her father 她父亲的一个宿敌make an enemy (of somebody) a ruthless businessman who made a lot of enemies 一个树敌众多的无情商人 the unforgettable sight of the president shaking hands with his sworn enemy (=an enemy you will always hate) 董事长与其死敌握手的难忘情景somebody’s worst enemy (=the person they hate most) 某人的死对头 I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. 即使是我的死对头，我也不愿看到他发生这样的事情。2 AGAINST/OPPOSEsomeone who opposes or competes against you 反对者 political enemies 政敌 He was imprisoned for being ‘an enemy of the revolution’. 他作为“革命的敌人”被监禁了。3 PMWAR (also the enemy) the country against which your country is fighting in a war 敌国 He was accused of collaboration with the enemy. 他被控通敌。enemy forces/aircraft/territory etc a town behind enemy lines 在敌后的城镇5 GRAMMAR 语法• In British English, you can use either a singular verb or a plural verb after the enemy . 在英国英语中，the enemy后既可用单数动词，也可用复数动词The enemy has ( OR have ) suffered a major defeat.敌军遭到惨败。n GRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?• The enemy is usually followed by a singular verb: The enemy was defeated.• In British English, you can also use a plural verb: The enemy were defeated.4 something that people think is harmful or damaging 危害物 The usual enemies, cigarettes and alcohol, are targeted for tax rises. 常见危害物，如香烟和酒类，将成为增税的对象。 The common enemy that united them was communism. 把他们团结起来的共同敌人是贫穷。5. be your own worst enemy PROBLEMto behave in a way that causes problems for yourself 自作自受，自己害自己6 public enemy number one informal someone famous who has done something bad and who a lot of people do not like 头号公敌 His views made him public enemy number one in the eyes of the media. 他的观点使他成为媒体眼中的头号公敌。7 the enemy within people in a society etc that other people think are trying to secretly destroy or damage it 〔试图在暗地里搞破坏活动的〕内部敌人，内奸 efforts to label environmentalists as the enemy within 想给环境保护论者贴上“内奸”标签的行为8 CHANGE/MAKE something DIFFERENTif one thing is the enemy of another, the second thing cannot exist because the first thing destroys it 克星，大敌n COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1,2 & 3adjectivesa great enemyHenry prepared to fight his great enemy, the king of France.a main/biggest/greatest enemyTerrorism is our country’s main enemy.an arch enemy (=main enemy, used for emphasis)The comic book character Lex Luthor is Superman’s arch enemy.bitter enemies (=enemies who hate each other very much)When these former friends quarrelled over money, they became bitter enemies.sworn enemies (=enemies who will always hate each other)The men have been sworn enemies for many years.a formidable enemy (=a very powerful enemy)The North Vietnamese army proved to be a formidable enemy.deadly enemies (=enemies who try to harm each other as much as possible)France and Germany, once deadly enemies, are now partners in the European Union.an old/traditional enemy (=one you have had a long time)In 1548, Scotland moved towards an alliance with her traditional enemy, England.a common enemy (=one shared by groups of people)We must work together against the common enemy.a political enemythe prime minister’s political enemiesverbsmake enemies (=become unfriendly with people)During her long and turbulent career, she made many enemies.defend/protect yourself from your enemiesOur country has a right to protect itself from its enemies.defeat the enemyWe will never defeat our enemies unless we stop fighting each other.nounsan enemy force (=a military group that is your enemy)The town is occupied by enemy forces.an enemy position (=a place controlled by an enemy army)General Hunt ordered an air strike on the enemy positions.phrasesbehind enemy lines (=behind the edge of an area that is controlled by an enemy army)Men from the First Airborne Division were dropped behind enemy lines.n THESAURUSpersonenemy someone who does not like you because you have had a big disagreement with them in the past or someone who opposes you in business or politicsIf that’s how he treats his friends, I’d hate to be his enemy.In business, it’s best not to make too many enemies.adversary formal an enemyWhen he retired, he was replaced by his old adversary.He made the fatal mistake of underestimating his adversary.foe literary an enemyA guard called out ‘Who goes there – friend or foe?’his former foesarch enemy someone’s main enemyIn the movie, Batman goes into battle with his arch enemy the Joker.opponent someone you are competing against, for example in a sports game, competition, or electionYou win the game if you are left with more cards than your opponent. He is admired even by his political opponents.nemesis written an enemy or opponent that is impossible to defeat – a rather formal useIn the final, he met his old nemesis, Rafael Nadal.country/armyenemy a country or army that you are fighting against in a warSoldiers who were captured by the enemy suffered terribly.foe written an enemyThe Russian Army were a formidable foe.
Examples from the Corpus
enemy• And still there was not a scrap of information about enemy naval forces.• You cannot attack an enemy unless you have precise information about their numbers and position.• an enemy of the Jewish people• The detective wanted to know whether the dead man had had any enemies.• Did your husband have any enemies?• Britain and France decided to unite and fight against their common enemy.• Fatigue had made him slothful, and now he'd let his enemies get dangerously close.• If I didn't have that curiosity I would walk into enemy lines and let myself be killed.• One man was ordered to observe enemy aircraft and to warn when danger was imminent.• Even though these soldiers were our enemies, I felt desperately sorry for them.• the president's political enemies were quick to denounce him.• The new religion considered the body, and its animal desires, as the enemy of true reason.• And because the enemies should be allies, the clash is poignant.• They accused him of giving secret information to the enemy.• The enemy should be totally unaware of their arrival.• the enemies of democracy• My parents sometimes seem to treat me as if I was their enemy.• As a consequence the houseworker stands indicted as the worst enemy the environment has.natural enemies• In the wild, the pair would be natural enemies.• The pesticide killed off weevils and other insects, leaving the army worm to multiply unchecked by its natural enemies.• The doctrine rested on the assumption that the country had no natural enemies and advanced no territorial claims on its neighbours.• Much more can be done to improve the conservation of natural enemies in the field.• But few insecticides now marketed are adequately selective, so some natural enemies are invariably killed.• Reactive techniques like reorganization, retrenchment, and restriction are the natural enemies of organizational innovation.• The plant toxin renders both the caterpillar and the adult butterfly particularly repellent to natural enemies.enemy forces/aircraft/territory etc• Tanimizu is said to have shot down 32 enemy aircraft.• Should our carriers become separated during attacks by enemy aircraft, they will endeavor to remain within visual touch.• Bosnia, it has been determined by some one, is considered enemy territory.• Delight died at six thirty-eight a.m. when the first enemy aircraft appeared from the west.• Then further enemy aircraft arrived and bombed and strafed the patrol for several hours.• It later was further attenuated by including anyone killed or wounded in enemy territory, excluding the requirement of combat.• Allied spokesmen make light of the fact that so many enemy aircraft remain intact.• Probably due to the confusion no one thought of asking the radar station at Opana in which direction the enemy aircraft headed.Origin enemy (1200-1300) Old French enemi, from Latin inimicus, from amicus “friend”en·e·my noun →5 GRAMMAR1 →n GRAMMAR2
→n COLLOCATIONS1 →n THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
→n COLLOCATIONS1 →n THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
to wants harm hates who someone you you and Corpus
enemy
en‧e‧my W2 /ˈenəmi/
noun (plural enemies) [countable]
She’s a dangerous enemy to have.
Cats and dogs have always been natural enemies.
an old enemy of her father
make an enemy (of somebody)
a ruthless businessman who made a lot of enemies
the unforgettable sight of the president shaking hands with his sworn enemy (=an enemy you will always hate)
sb’s worst enemy (=the person they hate most)
I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.
2. someone who opposes or competes against you:
political enemies
He was imprisoned for being ‘an enemy of the revolution’.
3. (also the enemy) the country against which your country is fighting in a war:
He was accused of collaboration with the enemy.
enemy forces/aircraft/territory etc
a town behind enemy lines
GRAMMAR
In British English, you can use either a singular verb or a plural verb after the enemy:
▪The enemy has OR have suffered a major defeat.
4. something that people think is harmful or damaging:
The usual enemies, cigarettes and alcohol, are targeted for tax rises.
The common enemy that united them was communism.
5. be your own worst enemy to behave in a way that causes problems for yourself
6. public enemy number one informal someone famous who has done something bad and who a lot of people do not like:
His views made him public enemy number one in the eyes of the media.
7. the enemy within people in a society etc that other people think are trying to secretly destroy or damage it:
efforts to label environmentalists as the enemy within
8. if one thing is the enemy of another, the second thing cannot exist because the first thing destroys it:
Boredom is the enemy of learning.
■ adjectives
▪a great enemy Henry prepared to fight his great enemy, the king of France.
▪a main/biggest/greatest enemy Terrorism is our country’s main enemy.
▪an arch enemy (=main enemy, used for emphasis) The comic book character Lex Luthor is Superman’s arch enemy.
▪bitter enemies (=enemies who hate each other very much) When these former friends quarrelled over money, they became bitter enemies.
▪sworn enemies (=enemies who will always hate each other) The men have been sworn enemies for many years.
▪a formidable enemy (=a very powerful enemy) The North Vietnamese army proved to be a formidable enemy.
▪deadly enemies (=enemies who try to harm each other as much as possible) France and Germany, once deadly enemies, are now partners in the European Union.
▪an old/traditional enemy (=one you have had a long time) In 1548, Scotland moved towards an alliance with her traditional enemy, England.
▪a common enemy (=one shared by groups of people) We must work together against the common enemy.
▪a political enemy the prime minister’s political enemies
■ verbs
▪make enemies (=become unfriendly with people) During her long and turbulent career, she made many enemies.
▪defend/protect yourself from your enemies Our country has a right to protect itself from its enemies.
▪defeat the enemy We will never defeat our enemies unless we stop fighting each other.
■ nouns
▪an enemy force (=a military group that is your enemy) The town is occupied by enemy forces.
▪an enemy position (=a place controlled by an enemy army) General Hunt ordered an air strike on the enemy positions.
■ phrases
▪behind enemy lines (=behind the edge of an area that is controlled by an enemy army) Men from the First Airborne Division were dropped behind enemy lines.
■ person
▪enemy someone who does not like you because you have had a big disagreement with them in the past or someone who opposes you in business or politics: If that’s how he treats his friends, I’d hate to be his enemy. | In business, it’s best not to make too many enemies.
▪adversary formal an enemy: When he retired, he was replaced by his old adversary. | He made the fatal mistake of underestimating his adversary.
▪foe literary an enemy: A guard called out ‘Who goes there – friend or foe?’ | his former foes
▪arch enemy someone’s main enemy: In the movie, Batman goes into battle with his arch enemy the Joker.
▪opponent someone you are competing against, for example in a sports game, competition, or election: You win the game if you are left with more cards than your opponent. | He is admired even by his political opponents.
▪nemesis written an enemy or opponent that is impossible to defeat – a rather formal use: In the final, he met his old nemesis, Rafael Nadal.
■ country/army
▪enemy a country or army that you are fighting against in a war: Soldiers who were captured by the enemy suffered terribly.
▪foe written an enemy: The Russian Army were a formidable foe.
en‧e‧my W2 /ˈenəmi/
noun (plural enemies) [countable] Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old French
Origin: enemi, from Latin inimicus, from amicus 'friend'
1. someone who hates you and wants to harm you:Language: Old French
Origin: enemi, from Latin inimicus, from amicus 'friend'
make an enemy (of somebody)
sb’s worst enemy (=the person they hate most)
2. someone who opposes or competes against you:
3. (also the enemy) the country against which your country is fighting in a war:
enemy forces/aircraft/territory etc
GRAMMAR
In British English, you can use either a singular verb or a plural verb after the enemy:
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4. something that people think is harmful or damaging:
5. be your own worst enemy to behave in a way that causes problems for yourself
6. public enemy number one informal someone famous who has done something bad and who a lot of people do not like:
7. the enemy within people in a society etc that other people think are trying to secretly destroy or damage it:
8. if one thing is the enemy of another, the second thing cannot exist because the first thing destroys it:
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Starting a war 开战
declare/make/wage war (on sb/sth)（向…）宣战／挑起战争／发动战争 go to war (against/with sb)（向…）开战 cause/spark/provoke/foment/quell unrest引起／平息骚乱 incite/lead/crush/suppress a revolt/rebellion煽动／领导／镇压起义／叛乱 launch/mount/carry out a surprise/terrorist attack发起／实施突然／恐怖袭击 prevent/halt/represent an escalation of the conflict防止／阻止／表明冲突升级 be torn apart by/be on the brink of civil war被内战搞得四分五裂；濒于内战 enter/invade/occupy sb's territory进入／侵略／占领某人的领土 lead/launch/resist/repel an invasion领导／发起／抵制／击退武装入侵
Military operations 军事行动
adopt/develop/implement/pursue a military strategy采用／发展／实施／执行军事战略 carry out/execute/perform military operations/manoeuvres/( maneuversespecially
执行军事行动／军事演习 send/deploy/station/pull back/withdraw troops派遣／部署／派驻／撤回部队 go on/fly/carry out a reconnaissance/rescue mission进行／驾机执行／执行侦察／营救任务 train/equip/deploy army/military/combat units训练／装备／部署陆军／军事／作战分队 lead/launch/conduct a raid/a surprise attack/an (air/airborne/amphibious) assault (on sb)领导／发起／实施（对某人的）突然袭击／（空中／空投部队／登陆）攻击 employ/use guerrilla tactics采用游击战术 conduct/wage biological/guerrilla warfare进行／发动生物战／游击战 fight/crush/defeat the rebels/the insurgency设法战胜／镇压／挫败叛乱者／叛乱 suffer/inflict a crushing defeat遭受惨败；大获全胜 achieve/win a decisive victory赢得决定性的胜利 halt/stop the British/German/Russian advance阻止英国／德国／俄罗斯的前进 order/force a retreat命令／强迫撤退
Fighting 作战
join/serve in the army/navy/air force加入陆军／海军／空军；在陆军／海军／空军部队服役 be/go/remain/serve on active duty在服现役 serve/complete/return from a tour of duty在服役；服役完毕；服役归来 be sent to the front (line)被派往前线 attack/strike/engage/defeat/kill/destroy the enemy袭击／攻击敌人；与敌人交战；击败／杀死／消灭敌人 see/report/be engaged in heavy fighting目睹／报道／参与激战 call for/be met with armed resistance要求／遭遇武装抵抗 come under heavy/machine-gun/mortar fire冒着激烈的／机关枪的／迫击炮的射击 fire a machine-gun/mortar shells/rockets (at sb/sth)（对…）发射机关枪／迫击炮弹／火箭弹 shoot a rifle/a pistol/bullets/missiles步枪／手枪射击；发射子弹／导弹 launch/fire a cruise/ballistic/anti-tank missile发射巡航／弹道／反坦克导弹 use biological/chemical/nuclear weapons使用生物／化学／核武器 inflict/suffer/sustain heavy losses/casualties遭受惨重损失／伤亡 be hit/killed by enemy/friendly/artillery fire被敌军／友军／炮火击中／射死 become/be held as a prisoner of war成为战俘；作为战俘被监禁
Civilians in war 战争中的平民
harm/kill/target/protect innocent/unarmed civilians伤害／杀死／瞄准／保护无辜的／手无寸铁的平民 cause/avoid/limit/minimize civilian casualties/collateral damage导致／避免／限制／最大限度减少平民伤亡／附带性破坏 impose/enforce/lift a curfew强制实行／解除宵禁 engage in/be a victim of ethnic cleansing参与种族清洗；成为种族清洗的受害者 be sent to an internment/a concentration camp被送到俘虏拘留营／集中营 accept/house/resettle refugees fleeing from war接受／收容／安置战争难民 fear/threaten military/violent reprisals害怕／扬言要军事／暴力报复 commit/be accused of war crimes/crimes against humanity/genocide犯／被指控犯战争罪／反人类罪／种族灭绝罪
Making peace 和解
make/bring/win/achieve/maintain/promote peace促使／带来／赢得／实现／保持／促进和平 call for/negotiate/broker/declare a ceasefire/a temporary truce要求／商谈／协商／宣布停战／暂时休战 sign a ceasefire agreement签署停战协议 call for/bring/put an end to hostilities要求发动／引发／结束战争 demand/negotiate/accept the surrender of sb/sth强烈要求／商讨／接受…投降 establish/send (in) a peacekeeping force建立／派遣维和部队 negotiate/conclude/ratify/sign/accept/reject/break/violate a peace treaty商讨／达成／正式批准／签署／接受／拒绝／破坏／违反和平协定
