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
Still, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was impressed with his Yankees foes. Brendan Kuty, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025 My body, equipped with the primordial fear of starvation, was a formidable foe. Emma Pattee, Glamour, 25 Mar. 2025 Florida doesn’t just run by subpar nonconference foes, either. Bennett Conlin, Baltimore Sun, 24 Mar. 2025 In the comics, Muse uses the blood of his victims to create his art and is a particularly difficult foe for Daredevil because of his powers. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 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 13 Apr. 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!