archenemy

noun

arch·​en·​e·​my (ˌ)ärch-ˈe-nə-mē How to pronounce archenemy (audio)
plural archenemies
Synonyms of archenemynext
: a principal enemy

Examples of archenemy in a Sentence

The two politicians were archenemies. The country went to war with its archenemy.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At rallies and on TV, speakers have portrayed Iran as headed for total victory and denounced those who compromise with the Islamic Republic’s archenemy, the United States. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026 The president watched Israel assassinate his colleagues and superiors, faced accusations by ultra-conservative hardline politicians of compliance with Iran’s archenemy, the United States, and even oversaw a massive crackdown on protests. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 12 June 2026 Jared Leto stars as He-Man’s archenemy, Skeletor. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026 Various nemeses and side characters enter the fray, from Jim’s archenemy (and also Insta-famous) Pavel to the scally with a sneaker-sniffing fetish who guides Jim and Lucien to their next destination. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for archenemy

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of archenemy was in 1550

Rhymes for archenemy

See All Rhymes for archenemy

Browse Nearby Words

archencephalon
archenemy
archenteric
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Archenemy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archenemy. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

archenemy

noun
arch·​en·​e·​my (ˈ)ärch-ˈen-ə-mē How to pronounce archenemy (audio)
: a principal enemy

More from Merriam-Webster on archenemy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for archenemy

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