foe

1 of 2

noun

1
: one who has personal enmity for another
Embrace, embrace, my Sons! be foes no more!Alexander Pope
2
a
: an enemy in war
b
: adversary, opponent
a political foe
3
: one who opposes on principle
a foe of needless expenditures
a foe of censorship
4
: something prejudicial or injurious

FOE

2 of 2

abbreviation

Fraternal Order of Eagles

Examples of foe in a Sentence

Noun Many considered him a foe of democracy. Her ability was acknowledged by friend and foe alike.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
There was the expectation Napier would be gone, now 20-22, 3-12 against rivals and 16-22 against FBS foes — each the worst of a Florida coach to receive a fourth year. Noah White, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025 The Bronx Bombers are a very good team, but these two foes always step up a notch when playing each other. Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 2025 Benny Emmanuel stars as Vgly, a young rapper trying to claw his way to prominence while feuding with foes through beats and rhymes. PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025 And Markey has defeated whippersnapper-type political foes before. David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 3 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foe

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fo, from Old English fāh, from fāh, adjective, hostile; akin to Old High German gifēh hostile

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foe was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foe. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

foe

noun
1
: one who hates another
2
: an enemy in war

More from Merriam-Webster on foe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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