foe

1 of 2

noun

Synonyms of foenext
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
In the horror sequel, Josh Hutcherson and Elizabeth Lail return to face new foes as well the old murderous animatronic animals of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026 Included in what would become a season-high 12-game winning streak were road victories over future Elite Eight foe Iowa and Purdue. Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026 Hockomock League foe Attleboro is right alongside it in the contender conversation, featuring two of the state’s top players in junior UMass commit Lola Ronayne (shortstop and pitcher) and ace Jenna Callahan. Tom Mulherin, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026 The second and final meeting of the regular season between the cross-conference foes at American Airlines Center went a bit differently Friday night. Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 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 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

foe

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

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