Enmity is a feeling of hatred towards someone that lasts for a long time.
I think there is an historic enmity between them. [+ between]
...the historic enmity between the two nations.
Synonyms: hostility, hate, spite, hatred More Synonyms of enmity
enmity in British English
(ˈɛnmɪtɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ties
a feeling of hostility or ill will, as between enemies; antagonism
Word origin
C13: from Old French enemistié, from enemienemy
enmity in American English
(ˈɛnməti)
nounWord forms: pluralˈenmities
the bitter attitude or feelings of an enemy or of mutual enemies; hostility; antagonism
SYNONYMY NOTE: enmity denotes a strong, settled feeling of hatred, whether concealed, displayed, or latent;, hostility usually suggests enmity expressed in active opposition, attacks, etc.; , animosity suggests bitterness of feeling that tends to break out in open hostility; , antagonism stresses the mutual hostility or enmity of persons, forces, etc.
Word origin
ME enemite < OFr enemistie < VL *inimicitas < L inimicus: see UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
Examples of 'enmity' in a sentence
enmity
In the national interest they should bury their enmity and we should have a constructive conversation.
The Sun (2016)
If mutual enmity is on the rise, there is no shortage of reasons to explain why.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
There was no corruption, just nastiness and personal enmity.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The result was a long and bitter enmity between the two peoples, each of whom viewedthe other with suspicion and loathing.
Arthur Herman THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT: The Scots' Invention of the Modern World (2002)
Between his kind and ours, there's always been enmity and war.
Zindell, David The Broken God (1993)
European football's governing body is eager to avoid the pre-match sparring that has fuelled much of the enmity between the old rivals.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It's an ancient enmity that rarely ends well for one of its parties, and so it proved in this rooftop encounter.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But there was no conceivable doubt about where Philippa stood; and there was no question about the mutual enmity of the two worlds.
Patrick O'Brian Richard Temple
In other languages
enmity
British English: enmity NOUN
Enmity is a feeling of hatred towards someone that lasts for a long time.
I think there is an historic enmity between them.
American English: enmity
Brazilian Portuguese: inimizade
Chinese: 敌意
European Spanish: enemistad
French: inimitié
German: Feindschaft
Italian: inimicizia
Japanese: 敵意
Korean: 원한
European Portuguese: inimizade
Latin American Spanish: enemistad
(noun)
Definition
a feeling of hostility or ill will
The two countries erupted into open enmity during the Gulf war.
Synonyms
hostility
She looked at Ron with open hostility.
hate
eyes that held a look of hate
spite
Never had she met such spite and pettiness.
hatred
He has been accused of stirring up hatred between nations.
bitterness
I still feel bitterness and anger.
friction
There was friction between the children.
malice
There was no malice on his part.
animosity
There's a long history of animosity between the two nations.
aversion
Many people have an aversion to insects.
venom
There was no mistaking the venom in his voice.
antagonism
There is much antagonism between the two teams.
antipathy
She'd often spoken of her antipathy towards London.
acrimony
The council's first meeting ended in acrimony.
rancour
`That's too bad,' he said without rancour.
bad blood
There is, it seems, some bad blood between them.
ill will
He didn't bear anyone any ill will.
animus
He displayed a thorough animus to the Western tradition.
malevolence
His actions betrayed a rare streak of malevolence.
malignity
Opposites
love
,
friendship
,
affection
,
harmony
,
warmth
,
goodwill
,
friendliness
,
amity
,
cordiality
,
geniality
Additional synonyms
in the sense of acrimony
Definition
bitterness and resentment felt about something
The council's first meeting ended in acrimony.
Synonyms
bitterness,
harshness,
rancour,
ill will,
virulence,
sarcasm,
pungency,
asperity,
tartness,
astringency,
irascibility,
peevishness,
acerbity,
churlishness,
trenchancy,
mordancy,
spleen
in the sense of animosity
Definition
a powerful dislike or hostility
There's a long history of animosity between the two nations.
Synonyms
hostility,
hate,
hatred,
resentment,
bitterness,
malice,
antagonism,
antipathy,
enmity,
acrimony,
rancour,
bad blood,
ill will,
animus,
malevolence,
virulence,
malignity
in the sense of animus
Definition
intense dislike
He displayed a thorough animus to the Western tradition.