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 Dynamo is the only conference foe that Denis Bouanga, the MLS’ leading scorer the past three years, has not hit with a front flip. —Josh Gross, Daily News, 28 Feb. 2026

Trump’s statement listed grievances beyond the nuclear program, stretching back to the beginning of the Islamic Republic following a revolution in 1979 that turned Iran from an American ally in the Middle East into a fierce foe. —Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2026

The two foes fought a 12-day war in June. —Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 27 Feb. 2026

But what was once the market's friend has recently turned more foe as uncertainty around how the technology will disrupt corporate business models contributed to a selloff in many parts of the market this year. —Sarah Min, CNBC, 27 Feb. 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
• 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