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
Overshooting a dodge or whiffing a swing usually leads to contact damage, followed by an enemy attack, which will stun you for a few frames for them to reposition, causing even more contact damage as the foe decides to move through you. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025 His team's latest season opened with a disappointing loss in an epic matchup against their AFC foes, the Buffalo Bills. Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025 The Giants are 19-26 in the National League West with seven games remaining against divisional foes. C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2025 The short week presents a multitude of challenges for Charlotte, which scored its first victory in a shootout against FCS foe Monmouth on Saturday night. Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 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 21 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

foe

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

More from Merriam-Webster on foe

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