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 preview culminates in a big boss fight wherein Samus must whittle away at the plant-like foe’s armor then guide her psychic shots into its weak points. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025

And, the president's political foes facing federal charges seek to oust their prosecutor. —Christian Orozco, NBC news, 13 Nov. 2025

Wearing his World Gym t-shirt, suspenders, a yellow plastic helmet and touting a big stogie, Arnold doth smite his foes about the head and topple them and saveth the world from the Justice Department and network executives. —Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 2025

Making chew toys of their divisional foes over most of the last decade was about more than just a foundational path to the postseason. —Kansas City Star, 13 Nov. 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