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

• 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 club’s 48 points are the most league-wide, but fellow Eastern Conference foes Nashville SC and Philadelphia Union aren’t far behind. —Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 26 July 2025

President Donald Trump is once again aiming at his usual late-night foes. —Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 23 July 2025

The two foes traded hundreds of strikes, with the U.S. conducting its own series of strikes against the key Iranian enrichment sites of Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, followed by an Iranian missile strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, until Trump announced a ceasefire on June 24. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025

Ernst said warm things about Nikki Haley, Trump’s top primary foe, but quickly backed him after Haley dropped out in 2024. —Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 July 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