Meaning of public enemy number one | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A person who ranks highest on the federal government's prioritized list of wanted criminal fugitives.
   US, dated, uncountable
2. A person, organization, or other object considered to be particularly menacing, harmful, or loathsome.
   figuratively, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“John Dillinger, America's Public Enemy No. 1 and the most notorious criminal of recent times, was shot and killed at 10:40 o'clock tonight by Federal agents.”

“"Sure you never heard of him?" he asked incredulously. "Never," I said flatly. "You must have," he argued. "Why Hamilton was a Public Enemy No. 1 at one time."”

“The fact is that Reaganomics slowed down the breakneck economy and succeeded in defeating public enemy number one, runaway inflation.”

“The Isle of Man's public enemy number one—the rabbit—can breathe easier today. The price on its head, or tail, was revoked.”

“As sugar has become public enemy number one in the battle against obesity, many Americans have fed their sweet tooth with artificially sweetened diet drinks.”

““I wasn’t a researcher anymore, I was Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler,” Mr. Moreno said. “I have become, in one week, Public Enemy No. 1.””

CEFR level