enemy
- n. 敌人
- adj. 敌方的
- Definition
- n. a person or group that is hostile to and fights against you
- adj. connected with or belonging to a hostile force
- Example
- The two countries were once enemies but now trade peacefully.
- 这两个国家曾经是敌人，现在却和平通商。
Synonyms & Differences 近义词辨析
Compared meaning: a hostile person or group (noun).
比较义项：敌人（名词）。
- enemy 本词
The everyday, neutral word for a hostile person, group, or nation; used freely in speech and writing, and pluralizes naturally in expressions like 'make enemies'.
日常、中性的说法，可指敌对的个人、团体或国家；口语和书面语中都常用，也常出现在“树敌”（make enemies）这样的表达中。
He made a lot of enemies by criticizing his coworkers so openly.
他因为如此公开地批评同事而树敌众多。
- foe
A more literary or formal word, common in news headlines and narrative writing; often appears in set phrases like 'sworn foe' or 'lifelong foe' and sounds dramatic in casual speech.
更书面、文学化的说法，常见于新闻标题和叙事性文字；常出现在“sworn foe”（不共戴天的仇敌）或“lifelong foe”（终生的仇敌）这类固定搭配中，用在日常口语里会显得夸张。
The knight rode out to vanquish his sworn foe before sunset.
那位骑士骑马出征，要在日落前打败他不共戴天的仇敌。
Enemy and foe both mean a hostile person, group, or nation. Enemy is the common, everyday word, used freely in speech and writing. Foe is more literary and formal, common in news headlines and fixed phrases like 'sworn foe', and sounds dramatic in casual talk.
这两个词在“敌人”这个意义上很接近，但语气不同：enemy 是日常最常用的说法，可以指个人、团体或国家；foe 更书面、文学化，常见于新闻标题、文学作品或“sworn foe”“lifelong foe”这类固定搭配，日常口语中较少使用。