Entry Word: foul

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 marked by wet and windy conditions <the foul weather brought out the windbreakers and rain slickers as everyone braced for a day of rough sailing>

Synonyms bleak, dirty, inclement, nasty, raw, rough, squally, stormy, tempestuous, turbulent

Related Words blustering, blustery, breezy, gusty, windblown, windswept; cloudy, overcast, sunless; rainy, snowy; foggy, hazy, misty

Near Antonyms clear, cloudless, rainless, sunny; balmy, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid

Antonyms clement, fair

2 not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport <an aggressive hockey player who is known for his foul play and readiness for a fight>

Synonyms dirty, illegal, unfair, unsportsmanlike

Related Words dishonorable, shabby, shameful; ignoble, low, mean, ungentlemanly; immoral, unethical, unjust, unprincipled, unrighteous, unscrupulous

Near Antonyms just, law-abiding; ethical, moral, principled, righteous; honorable, irreproachable, unimpeachable

Antonyms clean, fair, legal, sportsmanlike, sportsmanly

3 causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment <a foul taste that made us gag> — see offensive 1
4 depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society <was sent to the principal's office for using foul language in class> — see obscene 1
5 having an unpleasant smell <the foul fumes from the paper mill> — see malodorous
6 not clean <I wouldn't play in the foul rainwater thatʼs collected in the feeding trough> — see dirty 1