Arabic word sheet
عَدُوٌّ
an enemy
- Type
- noun
- Root
- ع د و
Meaning and usage
enemy
Someone who is hostile to another and acts against him; the opposite of a friend or an ally.
صَارَ الْجَارُ عَدُوًّا لِسَامِي.
The neighbour became an enemy to Sami.
the enemy (a hostile side)
The same word, unchanged, is said of a whole hostile side: an army or a people one is at war with.
هَجَمَ الْعَدُوُّ عَلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لَيْلًا.
The enemy attacked the city at night.
Plural
أَعْدَاءٌ
Word family
What the root means ع د و
The root carries the idea of going past a limit: running, overstepping, then turning against someone. The enemy is the one who oversteps against you, the opposite of the friend and the ally.
enemy, aggressor
عَادٍ
enemy (a woman)
عَدُوَّةٌ
Synonyms
adversary, opponent
خَصْمٌ
It names the opposing party in a dispute or a lawsuit, with no lasting hatred implied, whereas the headword implies real hostility.
Opposites
friend
صَدِيقٌ
ally, close friend