An enemy or foe is a relativist term for an entity, whether an individual or a group, that is seen as forcefully adverse or threatening. The concept of an enemy has been observed to be "basic for both individuals and communities". The term "enemy" serves the social function of designating a particular entity as a threat, thereby invoking an intense emotional response to that entity. The state of being or having an enemy is enmity.
Read more about Foe: Terms, Enemies As A Function of Social Science, Enemies in Literature, Treatment of Enemies
Famous quotes containing the word foe:
“But keepe the wolfe far thence, that’s foe to men,
For with his nailes he’ll dig them up agen.”
—John Webster (c. 1580–1638)
“The earth yields up her stores, of every ill
The instigators; iron, foe to man,
And gold, than iron deadlier.”
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso)
“Let’s not quibble! I’m the foe of moderation, the champion of excess. If I may lift a line from a die-hard whose identity is lost in the shuffle, “I’d rather be strongly wrong than weakly right.””
—Tallulah Bankhead (1903–1968)