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

The team will go toe-to-toe with several dangerous foes on their journey, including the manticore, Nemean lion, and the gigantic automaton Talos. — Emlyn Travis, Entertainment Weekly, 21 July 2026

Besides chemical friend-or-foe signals, researchers found something else in the odor bouquets. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026

With Greene and Burns in the fold, the Reds see a one-two punch atop their rotation that could make the franchise a formidable postseason foe for years to come. — C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 17 July 2026

Moments after Argentina had sent an arrow into the heart of England, Lionel Messi was photographed melting into the arms of the craggy Harry Kane, England’s leading player but, in the World Cup semifinal, a vanquished foe. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 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