foe

1 of 2

noun

ˈfō 

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

a foe to health

FOE

2 of 2

abbreviation

Fraternal Order of Eagles

Synonyms of foe

Noun

• enemy
• opponent

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

Noun

Senior captain Avery Barnes fired a two-hitter, surrendering just one run in the circle while recording two hits at the plate as Cardinal Spellman (11-2) defeated Catholic Central League foe Bishop Fenwick, 7-1. —Brendan Connelly, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026

When Ava interrupts to bring Deborah her cell phone, Kelly mistakes Ava for Deborah’s girlfriend and has a new understanding of her foe. —Erin Jensen, USA Today, 8 May 2026

Uber, a perennial, prolific political spender, seeks to kneecap a longtime foe, the Consumer Attorneys of California, through a measure that would limit the fees attorneys can collect in car crash cases. —Sacbee.com, 8 May 2026

This year in Week 0, North Carolina faces TCU in Dublin, Ireland and longtime ACC foes NC State and Virginia meet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. —Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 7 May 2026

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

Phrases Containing foe

• mortal foe/rival

Rhymes for foe

• beau
• beaut
• beaux
• blow
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

foe

noun

ˈfō 

1

: one who hates another

2

: an enemy in war