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

• adversary
• antagonist
• enemy
• hostile
• 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 two longtime foes have traded direct strikes against one another since Israel launched a massive series of attacks against Iran last week, alleging that Tehran was secretly moving toward producing a nuclear weapon, a claim denied by Iranian officials. —Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 June 2025

The open conflict sparked by Israel’s sudden barrage of attacks against Iran’s nuclear and military structure shows no signs of abating on the seventh day of hostilities between the two longtime foes that threatens to spiral into a wider, more dangerous regional war. —Elena Becatoros, Chicago Tribune, 20 June 2025

Its former foe was a prospering ally, and Japan’s manufacturers posed little threat. —Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 16 June 2025

And Trump’s threats of a further crackdown still hang over the country, including vows to jail journalists and his political foes. —Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 16 June 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