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 End Like most internet-heavy relationships, fans and foes alike have already taken sides in the LaPaglia-Bryan split. —Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2024

Whittaker was on defense from that moment, and the former champ did his best to prevent his foe from locking up a submission. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024

Israel and Iran have been bitter foes since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. —Jon Gambrell, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2024

One of the top goals of the industry is to limit the regulation power of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Senate's top crypto foe. —Mike Deehan, Axios, 24 Oct. 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