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

Halle Berry desperately tries to shield her family from terrifying foes in her new movie. —Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 16 May 2024

When their Southeast Division foe Atlanta, which had the fifth-worst odds at 3%, won while the Hornets didn’t even land in the top four, things were a bit hard to stomach. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2024

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

Kids Definition

foe

noun

ˈfō 

1

: one who hates another

2

: an enemy in war