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 raucous home environment at Doak on a Monday night is often tough for road foes to overcome. — Andre C. Fernandez, Miami Herald, 19 Aug. 2026

Rosie O'Donnell has returned to television to savagely roast one of her biggest foes. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026

The theory out there is that Macon is a future foe, harboring a big secret on his ranch. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 16 Aug. 2026

Yet Hathaway holds her own against her legendary onscreen foe. — Chris Bellamy, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Aug. 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