foe

1 of 2

noun

Synonyms of foe
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
a foe to health

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
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Noun
Unrestricted free agents Marcus Smart, 32, and Luke Kennard, 30, agreed to deals with Western Conference foes. Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 There is so much evil and suffering in the world, so much conniving and malicious intent, and the self is, at least, a familiar foe. Meghan O’Gieblyn, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026 With Aemond gone, Rhaenrya dragon-waltzes into King's Landing, an entry made possible by peace-seeking former foe and childhood bestie Alicent. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 29 June 2026 Baltimore signed top-flight pass rusher Trey Hendrickson away from divisional foe Cincinnati, and an even better pass rusher (Garrett) was traded outside the division. Mike Jones, New York Times, 29 June 2026 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. 2026.

Kids Definition

foe

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

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