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

That will come on Wednesday night, as the Yankees are hoping to move right to the ALDS to face another AL East foe – the AL’s best Tampa Bay Rays – with Max Fried on the bump. — Scott Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026

But the world might not want another one, and both human foes and spiritual enemies are hunting her. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 30 Sep. 2026

And their 106 points scored against conference foes is just 69 fewer than last season’s total with seven Big Ten games remaining on the 2026 slate. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

The defense continues to give up big plays, and Purdue still hasn't beaten a Power 4 foe since its 2023 season finale against Indiana. — CBS News, 27 Sep. 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