der Gegner
Translation
opponent, adversary, rival, antagonist
Examples
Im Finale traf er auf einen starken Gegner.
In the final, he met a strong opponent.
Er ist ein politischer Gegner der Regierung.
He is a political opponent of the government.
Grammar Patterns
ein Gegner von jdm./etw. sein to be an opponent of sb./sth. He is an opponent of this policy.
Similar Words
Synonyms: Konkurrent, Rivale, Widersacher, Feind; Antonyms: Partner, Verbündeter (ally), Freund (friend)
Etymology
Derived from the preposition 'gegen' (against). The '-er' suffix denotes a person. So, literally 'one who is against'.
Memory Tips
Remember that 'gegen' means 'against'. A 'Gegn-er' is a person who is 'against' you.