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

FOE

2 of 2

abbreviation

Fraternal Order of Eagles

Synonyms

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

The YouTuber greets everyone — fan on the street, friend, foe, sitting Congressmen, and unsuspecting Rolling Stone staffer — the same, with a cheerful smile and an already rolling camera crew. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2025

Meanwhile, Malone and Diller have been legal foes over the years as well as business partners. —Todd Spangler, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025

Now, the Dragons (1-0) will face a familiar foe in Hebron. —Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2025

The Tigers enter Saturday’s game at Faurot Field 1-0 after beating FCS foe Central Arkansas 61-6 in last week’s season opener. —Maddie Hartley, Kansas City Star, 3 Sep. 2025

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
• beaux
• blow
• boe
• bro
• coe
• crow
• doe
• doh
• dough
• eau
• eaux

Kids Definition

foe

noun

ˈfō 

1

: one who hates another

2

: an enemy in war