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

In all, the megacluster provides a sophisticated siege on an essential pathway in many bacteria, including Streptomyces’ foes. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 June 2026

His Democratic foe, Marni von Wilpert, sits on the San Diego City Council and has only a slight Democratic voter registration advantage. — Dan Walters, Mercury News, 25 June 2026

Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the X-Men’s absence. — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 25 June 2026

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova went from friends to teammates to foes to bitter rivals in a span of two tennis careers. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 25 June 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