foil

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈfȯi(-ə)l 

foiled; foiling; foils

transitive verb

1

a

: to prevent from attaining an end : defeat

always able to foil her enemies

Her accident foiled her from becoming a dancer.

b

: to bring to naught : thwart

foiled the plot

Police foiled an attempted robbery.

2

obsolete : trample

foil

2 of 5

noun (1)

1

: very thin sheet metal

aluminum foil

2

: a thin piece of material (such as metal) put under an inferior or paste stone to add color or brilliance

3

: someone or something that serves as a contrast to another

acted as a foil for a comedian

4

a

: an indentation between cusps in Gothic tracery

b

: one of several arcs that enclose a complex figure

5

: hydrofoil sense 1

foil

3 of 5

verb (2)

foiled; foiling; foils

transitive verb

1

: to back or cover with foil

2

: to enhance by contrast

foil

4 of 5

noun (2)

1

: a light fencing sword having a usually circular guard and a flexible blade of rectangular section tapering to a blunted point compare épée, saber

2

: the art or sport of fencing with the foil

—often used in plural

foil

5 of 5

noun (3)

1

archaic : defeat

2

archaic : the track or trail of an animal

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• frustrate
• thwart
• baffle
• hamper
• prevent
• defeat

Choose the Right Synonym for foil

frustrate, thwart, foil, baffle, balk mean to check or defeat another's plan or block achievement of a goal.

frustrate implies making vain or ineffectual all efforts however vigorous or persistent.

frustrated attempts at government reform

thwart suggests frustration or checking by crossing or opposing.

the army thwarted his attempt at a coup

foil implies checking or defeating so as to discourage further effort.

foiled by her parents, he stopped trying to see her

baffle implies frustration by confusing or puzzling.

baffled by the maze of rules and regulations

balk suggests the interposing of obstacles or hindrances.

officials felt that legal restrictions had balked their efforts to control crime

Examples of foil in a Sentence

Verb (1)

in popular fiction the hero will always foil the villain's plans

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Iran’s first major response to the June 21 U.S. attack on its nuclear facilities appears to have been mostly foiled and launched against a base that had been largely evacuated, according to U.S. officials. —Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today, 23 June 2025

The original Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! debuted in 1988, with Leslie Nielsen starring as Detective Frank Drebin, trying to foil an assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth II during her visit to the US. —ArsTechnica, 16 June 2025

Noun

Transfer to prepared baking sheet; tent loosely with foil while cooking remaining chicken. —Jessica B. Harris, Southern Living, 7 July 2025

To make this lasagna in advance, prepare it as instructed, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months (cover the plastic wrap with foil when freezing). —Robin Miller, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English foilen "to trample, tread upon, mortify (the flesh), oppress," alteration of fullen "to full (cloth), trample down, oppress," perhaps by analogy with loanwords from French with palatal l that result in variants with -oi- and -u-, as coilen, cullen "to select for quality, pick out, cull entry 1" — more at full entry 5

Noun (1)

Middle English, leaf, from Anglo-French fuille, foille (from Latin folia, plural of folium) & fuil, from Latin folium — more at blade

Noun (2)

origin unknown

Noun (3)

derivative of foil entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing foil

• aluminum foil
• silver foil

Rhymes for foil

• boil
• broil
• coil
• oil
• roil
• soil
• spoil
• toil
• voile
• aerofoil
• cinquefoil
• hydrofoil

Kids Definition

foil

1 of 3 verb

ˈfȯi(ə)l 

: to prevent from achieving a goal : defeat

foil a plot

foil

2 of 3 noun

1

: a very thin sheet of metal

tin or aluminum foil

2

: one that serves as a contrast to another

acted as a foil for the comedian

foil

3 of 3 noun

: a fencing weapon having a light flexible blade with a blunt point

Etymology

Verb

Middle English foilen "to trample underfoot," from early French fuller, fouler "to shrink and thicken (cloth), trample underfoot," from Latin fullare "to shrink and thicken (cloth)"

Noun

Middle English foil "leaf," from early French fuille, foille (same meaning), derived from Latin folium "leaf" — related to foliage

Noun

origin unknown

Medical Definition

foil

noun

ˈfȯil 

: very thin sheet metal (as of gold or platinum) used especially in filling teeth