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
Noun
The series follows a superhero who, no matter what, beats all his foes with a single punch. Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2024 Enemies on the ground aren't just eye candy but are active participants in the battle that shoot you down just as easily as any aerial foe. PCMAG, 14 Aug. 2024 Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Team USA again will be going for Olympic gold, with a familiar foe awaiting in Saturday’s championship game. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2024 Malaria is one of our most ancient foes — and one of the wiliest. Andrew Joseph, STAT, 1 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foe 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near foe

Cite this Entry

“Foe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foe. Accessed 13 Sep. 2024.

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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