Standard Lemma guide

archenemy

name · noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˌɑː(ɹ)t͡ʃˈɛn.ə.mi/
  • /ˌɑː(ɹ)ˈt͡ʃɛn.ə.mi/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AA1 R CH EH1 N AH0 M IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

Satan

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: Christianity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A principal enemy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A supreme and most powerful enemy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h2er-der.? Proto-Indo-European *h2ergh-der.? Ancient Greek ἄρχω (árkhō) Ancient Greek ἀρχι- (arkhi-)der. Latin archi-bor. Old English arċe- Middle English arch- English arch- English enemy English archenemy From arch- (“chief, most extreme”) + enemy.

Across languages

Translations

43 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: عَدُوّ لَدُود (ʕaduww ladūd) — a principal enemy
  • Catalan: arxienemic — a principal enemy
  • Catalan: enemic jurat — a principal enemy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 大敵 /大敌 (dàdí) — a principal enemy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 死对头 (sǐduìtou) — a principal enemy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 宿敌 (sùdí) — a principal enemy
  • Czech: úhlavní nepřítel — a principal enemy
  • Danish: ærkefjende — a principal enemy
  • Dutch: aartsvijand — a principal enemy
  • Dutch: aartsvijandin — a principal enemy
  • Finnish: perivihollinen — a principal enemy
  • Finnish: arkkivihollinen — a principal enemy
  • French: ennemi juré — a principal enemy
  • Galician: inimigo mortal — a principal enemy
  • Galician: arquiinimigo — a principal enemy
  • German: Erzfeind — a principal enemy
  • German: Erzfeindin — a principal enemy
  • Greek: αρχεχθρός (archechthrós) — a principal enemy
  • Hindi: परमशत्रु (paramśatru) — a principal enemy
  • Hindi: प्रधान शत्रु (pradhān śatru) — a principal enemy
  • Hungarian: ősellenség — a principal enemy
  • Hungarian: fő ellenség — a principal enemy
  • Icelandic: erkióvinur — a principal enemy
  • Icelandic: erkifjandi — a principal enemy
  • Indonesian: musuh bebuyutan — a principal enemy
  • Italian: arcinemico — a principal enemy
  • Italian: arcinemica — a principal enemy
  • Japanese: 大敵 (taiteki) — a principal enemy
  • Japanese: 宿敵 (shukuteki) — a principal enemy
  • Macedonian: ду́шман (dúšman) — a principal enemy
  • Macedonian: за́колнат непри́јател (zákolnat nepríjatel) — a principal enemy
  • Malay: musuh ketat — a principal enemy
  • Māori: uto — a principal enemy
  • Norwegian: erkefiende — a principal enemy
  • Polish: arcywróg — a principal enemy
  • Portuguese: arqui-inimigo — a principal enemy
  • Romanian: dușman de moarte — a principal enemy
  • Russian: закля́тый враг (zakljátyj vrag) — a principal enemy
  • Spanish: archienemigo — a principal enemy
  • Spanish: mayor enemigo — a principal enemy
  • Spanish: peor enemigo — a principal enemy
  • Swedish: ärkefiende — a principal enemy
  • Turkish: başdüşman — a principal enemy