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
But Sean Payton’s team was also abnormally good in one-score games, won its final two against division foes without their starting quarterbacks, played a third-place schedule and stayed fairly healthy — until overtime of the divisional round, at least. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 15 May 2026 The Man of Steel fights several new villains in the trailer, but the most formidable foe is Cyborg Superman. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 14 May 2026 First released in 2016 by the manufacturer Ohta, Monster Wolf was originally designed to ward off the agricultural foes like boars, deer, and the island nation’s Asian black bear (Ursus thibetanus) and brown bear (Ursus arctos) populations. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 May 2026 The meeting with the head of the CIA, the same agency Cuba has long accused of sabotaging its revolution, comes as tensions between the Cold War-era foes have risen to the highest point in decades. Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 14 May 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 20 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

foe

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

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