(1) 敌人，仇人(敌) (person who hates or wishes to harm one) [C]：a bitter/public (the King's，the Queen's)/lifelong(mortal，sworn)～有深仇大恨的敌人/公敌/不共戴天之敌; an～worthy of one's steel 劲敌; have many/no～ies 有很多/没有敌人; He earned/made him many～ies by doing that. 他那样做为自己树立了许多敌人。Cats are the～of mice. 猫是老鼠的天敌。Better an open～than a false friend.(prov) 宁要公开的敌人，不要虚伪的朋友。〖同〗 opponent，adversary，foe，rival，competitor; 〖反〗 friend，supporter，well-wisher;

(2) 敌兵(军，国) (hostile power or force of a nation or a member or a unit of such a force) [Gp，the～]：defeat the～打败敌军; meet/encounter one's～遭遇敌军; The～was (were) encamped on the hillside/surrounded by the Allies/advancing toward the city/forced to retreat/put to rout. 敌军在山坡上扎营/被盟军包围/朝那座城市进军/被迫撤退/被打得一败涂地。(an)～attack/plane/soldiers/forces 敌人的进攻/敌机/敌军的士兵/敌军; 〖同〗 assailant，attacker; 〖反〗ally，confederate;

(3) 危(有)害物，大敌(害) (something harmful or injurious in effects) [C]：an～to true friendship/to progress 真正友谊/进步的大敌; Frost is the～of plants. 霜冻是植物的大敌。Weather is sometimes the farmer's chief/worst～. 恶劣的天气有时是农业最主要/最严重的灾害。

to be no enemy to 喜欢：He is no～to wine. 他喜欢饮酒。

make an enemy of 使 …… 成为敌人：Don't make an～of her. 不要与她为敌。

【注意】enemy用作集合名词时，若用作主语，如果看作整体，后面的谓语动词用单数，如：The enemy was defeated. (敌人被打败了。) 如果指其所有的成员，则用复数，如：Thousands of enemy were captured. (数以千计的敌军士兵被俘虏。) (参见AUDIENCE)。

【辨异】enemy与foe都表示危险的公敌或私敌。enemy是常用词，强调敌对性，如：Two countries at war with each other are enemies. (两个交战的国家即为敌对国。)foe多用于书面，可与enemy互换使用，更多地强调危害(险)性，如：a deadly foe (死敌)，a foe to health (对健康的危害)。