foe

1 of 2

noun

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The fans reveled in the rally, the thrashing of Goliath, the awareness that this World Series pitted two foes who belonged on the same field. Andy McCullough, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025 In a separate interview on One Night with Steiny, 6ix9ine clowned his longtime foe Lil Tjay for being shot at a Chipotle in New Jersey back in 2022. Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025 From foe to friend In the closing days of the mayor’s race, Adams seems to have had a change of heart about his former opponent. Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 23 Oct. 2025 Children’s Health Defense, the organization Kennedy built into one of the fiercest foes of childhood vaccines, took interest in the Idaho bill early on. Audrey Dutton, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foe

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of foe was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foe. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

foe

noun
1
: one who hates another
2
: an enemy in war

More from Merriam-Webster on foe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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