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

• adversary
• antagonist
• enemy
• hostile
• 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 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

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

Kids Definition

foe

noun

ˈfō 

1

: one who hates another

2

: an enemy in war