adversary
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adversary¹
- /ˈæd.və.sɛɹi/ UK
- /ˈæd.və.s(ə)ɹi/ UK
- /ædˈvɜː.sə.ɹi/ UK, dated
- /ədˈvɜː.sə.ɹi/ UK
- /ˈæd.vəɹˌsɛɹi/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English adversarie, from Anglo-Norman aversaire (in Wace's Life of Saint Margaret) and Old French aversier, aversaire (French adversaire), from Latin adversārius, from adversus (“turned toward”). By surface analysis, adverse + -ary.
noun adversaries
-
A person, group, or thing that opposes or attacks another person or group; an opponent or rival.
He prepared to fight his adversary.
Similar: villain, antagonist
Adversary²
Where it comes from
A biblical reference, Satan ultimately deriving from a borrowing of the Hebrew שָׂטָן (Śāṭān, “adversary, accuser”). (See also Satan).
proper noun the Adversary
-
The Devil; Satan.
Yahweh′s turning Gog around, putting hooks in his jaws, and bringing him out from the remotest parts of the north (Ezek. 38:4-6) is now interpreted as the release of the Adversary from prison.
Similar: Satan
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: antagonist, opponent, enemy, hostile, foe, opposition, contradictory, rival, trouble, intruder, competitor, confrontation, deduction, challenger, competition, fighter
Translations
Every language
noun opponent
| Español | adversario, adversaria |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 적대자 jeokdaeja, 애드버서리 aedeubeoseori, 경쟁자 gyeongjaengja |
| 日本語 | 敵 teki, 相手 aite, アドバーサリー adobāsarī, 敵対者 tekitaisha |
| 中文 | 敵手 /敌手 díshǒu, 對手 /对手 duìshǒu |
| हिन्दी | प्रतियोगी pratiyogī, विरोधी virodhī |
| Português | adversário, adversária |
| Français | adversaire, ennemi, ennemie |
| Deutsch | Gegner, Gegnerin, Widersacher, Widersacherin, Gegenspieler, Gegenspielerin |
| Italiano | avversario, avversaria |
| Ελληνικά | αντίπαλος antípalos |
| Română | adversar, adversară |
| Русский | сопе́рник sopérnik, сопе́рница sopérnica, проти́вник protívnik, проти́вница protívnica, неприя́тель neprijátelʹ, неприя́тельница neprijátelʹnica |
| Tiếng Việt | đối thủ |
| العربية | خَصْم ḵaṣm, مُقَاوِم muqāwim, مُخَالِف muḵālif |
| עברית | יָרִיב yarív, אוֹיֵב oyév |
Talk about this word "adversary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/adversary. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. adversary. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/adversary "adversary." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/adversary.Cite this
@misc{adversary_2026,
title = {adversary},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/adversary},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
