foe

1 of 2

noun

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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Old Guard 2 (Netflix movie) Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal warriors face a powerful new foe. Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 28 June 2025 President Donald Trump brokered an historic ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran on Monday, marking a dramatic pause in the most significant military confrontation between the two foes. Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 25 June 2025 Miami will have joint practices with their three preseason foes prior to those games Aug. 10 at Chicago, Aug. 16 at Detroit and home Aug. 23 vs. Jacksonville, with Fins’ NFL regular season opening Sept. 7 in Indianapolis. Greg Cote june 22, Miami Herald, 22 June 2025 Rather than try to run with their brisk and frenetic foes, the Thunder look to be at their best with modest ball movement and controlled, driving possessions. Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for foe

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of foe was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foe. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

foe

noun
1
: one who hates another
2
: an enemy in war

More from Merriam-Webster on foe

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!