enemy
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enemy
A person who has an attitude of hatred, rejection, and opposition toward someone else and wants to harm them.
Im Laufe seines Lebens hatte er sich einige Feinde gemacht.
Over the course of his life, he had made himself a few enemies.
enemy
The opponent in a war, battle, or military conflict.
Die Truppen bereiteten sich auf den Angriff des Feindes vor.
The troops prepared for the enemy's attack.
enemy
In a figurative sense, something that is regarded as harmful, destructive, or as a threat to something else.
Perfektionismus kann der Feind jeder Kreativität sein.
Perfectionism can be the enemy of all creativity.
The word family includes the adjective 'feindlich' (hostile, like an enemy) and the noun 'die Feindschaft' (enmity/hostility, the state of being enemies). These words help you understand the concept.
Die beiden Länder standen sich lange feindlich gegenüber.
The two countries were hostile toward each other for a long time.
The word 'Feind' (enemy) is very strong and emotional. It describes deep, often hate-filled opposition and is rarely used in everyday life for normal conflicts.
Nach dem Streit betrachtete er seinen ehemaligen Freund als seinen größten Feind.
After the argument, he regarded his former friend as his greatest enemy.
A common expression is 'sich jemanden zum Feind machen' (to make an enemy of someone). It means behaving in such a way that another person becomes an enemy.
Mit dieser unfairen Aktion hast du dir den Chef zum Feind gemacht.
With that unfair action, you made an enemy of the boss.
In a military context, 'der Feind' (the enemy) is the standard term for the opposing side in a conflict or war. Words like 'Soldaten' (soldiers), 'Angriff' (attack), or 'Armee' (army) are clear signals for this meaning.
Die Soldaten beobachteten die Bewegungen des Feindes.
The soldiers observed the enemy's movements.
In the figurative meaning, 'Feind' (enemy) is often used in the structure 'der Feind + genitive' (the enemy of + noun). This describes an abstract threat or obstacle.
Aufschieben ist der Feind der Produktivität.
Procrastination is the enemy of productivity.
opponent
A Gegner works against your goals or takes a different position without necessarily wanting to cause harm. A Feind is more strongly negative: they feel hatred or strong rejection and want to harm the other person. For matter-of-fact or political opposition, Gegner is therefore usually the better choice.
Nach seinen schweren Drohungen sehe ich Paul als Feind, weil er mir bewusst schaden will.
After his serious threats, I see Paul as an enemy because he deliberately wants to harm me.
Im Wahlkampf ist Paul mein Gegner, weil er ein anderes politisches Programm vertritt.
During the election campaign, Paul is my opponent because he supports a different political platform.
