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

With the finalists determined after Canada beat Finland 5-3 on Monday and the U.S. secured its spot with a 3-1 win over Canada on Saturday, there is plenty of hype, both among star players and eager fans, heading into the battle between the North American foes. —Alex Andrejev, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025

Trump is also a fan of dramatic videos and social media posts that depict him and his allies dominating their foes. —Dan Mangan, CNBC, 18 Feb. 2025

Stephen Curry is on O’Neal’s team alongside former Warriors teammate Kevin Durant (now with the Suns), longtime postseason foe LeBron James (Lakers) and Cal product Jaylen Brown (Celtics). —Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 16 Feb. 2025

Thanks to help from Daniel, Johnny beats the younger, stronger foe as part of his happy ending, which also includes buying a house for wife Carmen (Vanessa Rubio) and their new baby girl, plus welcoming a fresh crop of Cobra Kai hopefuls. —Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 15 Feb. 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

Kids Definition

foe

noun

ˈfō 

1

: one who hates another

2

: an enemy in war