Archenemy Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms archenemy American [ahrch-en-uh-mee] / ˈɑrtʃˈɛn ə mi /

noun

plural

archenemies

1. a chief enemy.

2. Satan; the Devil.

archenemy British / ˈɑːtʃˈɛnɪmɪ /

noun

1. a chief enemy

2. (often capital) the devil

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of archenemy

First recorded in 1540–50; arch- 1 + enemy

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.

Inflation, for central bankers, is the archenemy and the root of all evil.

From MarketWatch

They were willing to risk igniting a whole new crisis to catch a low-level American agent and score points against their archenemies at the CIA.

From Literature

But when he did play it, it was less about his archenemy than about L.A., a city with a new song in the canon, a definitive “Us” who were all alike in screaming it.

From Los Angeles Times

Those groups have long provided Iran with a means to challenge its regional archenemy Israel, as well as the U.S., without a direct military confrontation.

From Seattle Times

A spokesperson for Hezbollah, Israel’s archenemy on its northern border, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• antagonist

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.