foul
Americanadjective
-
grossly offensive to the senses; disgustingly loathsome; noisome.
a foul smell.
- Antonyms:
- pleasant
-
containing or characterized by offensive or noisome matter.
foul air; foul stagnant water.
-
filthy or dirty, as places, receptacles, clothes, etc.
- Antonyms:
- clean
-
muddy, as a road.
-
clogged or obstructed with foreign matter.
a foul gas jet.
- Antonyms:
- clear
-
unfavorable or stormy.
foul weather.
- Synonyms:
- tempestuous , rainy
- Antonyms:
- clear
-
contrary, violent, or unfavorable, as the wind.
- Synonyms:
- adverse
-
grossly offensive in a moral sense.
-
abominable, wicked, or vile, as deeds, crime, slander, etc.
-
scurrilous, profane, or obscene; offensive.
foul language.
-
contrary to the rules or established usages, as of a sport or game; unfair.
a foul blow.
-
Baseball. pertaining to a foul ball or a foul line.
-
limited in freedom of movement by obstruction, entanglement, etc..
a foul anchor.
-
abounding in errors or in marks of correction, as a printer's proof, manuscript, or the like.
-
Nautical.
-
(of the underwater portion of a hull) encrusted and impeded with barnacles, seaweed, etc.
-
(of a mooring place) involving inconveniences and dangers, as of colliding with vessels or other objects when swinging with the tide.
-
(of the bottom of a body of water) affording a poor hold for an anchor (clean ).
-
-
North England and Scot.. not fair; ugly or unattractive.
-
Obsolete. disfigured.
adverb
-
in a foul manner; vilely; unfairly.
-
Baseball. into foul territory; so as to be foul.
It looked like a homer when he hit it, but it went foul.
noun
-
something that is foul.
-
a collision or entanglement.
a foul between two racing sculls.
-
a violation of the rules of a sport or game.
The referee called it a foul.
-
Baseball. foul ball.
verb (used with object)
-
to make foul; defile; soil.
- Antonyms:
- clean
-
to clog or obstruct, as a chimney or the bore of a gun.
-
to collide with.
-
to cause to become entangled or caught, as a rope.
-
to defile; dishonor; disgrace.
His reputation had been fouled by unfounded accusations.
- Synonyms:
- shame
-
Nautical. (of barnacles, seaweed, etc.) to cling to (a hull) so as to encumber.
-
Baseball. to hit (a pitched ball) foul (often followed by off oraway ).
He fouled off two curves before being struck out on a fastball.
verb (used without object)
-
to become foul.
-
Nautical. to come into collision, as two boats.
-
to become entangled or clogged.
The rope fouled.
-
Sports. to make a foul play; give a foul blow.
-
Baseball. to hit a foul ball.
verb phrase
-
foul up to cause confusion or disorder; bungle; spoil.
-
foul out
-
Baseball. to be put out by hitting a foul ball caught on the fly by a player on the opposing team.
-
Basketball. to be expelled from a game for having committed more fouls than is allowed.
-
idioms
-
run foul / afoul of, to come into collision or controversy with.
to run foul of the press.
-
foul one's nest, to dishonor one's own home, family, or the like.
-
fall foul / afoul of,
-
to collide with, as ships.
-
to come into conflict with; quarrel.
-
to make an attack; assault.
-
adjective
-
offensive to the senses; revolting
-
offensive in odour; stinking
-
charged with or full of dirt or offensive matter; filthy
-
(of food) putrid; rotten
-
morally or spiritually offensive; wicked; vile
-
obscene; vulgar
foul language
-
not in accordance with accepted standards or established rules; unfair
to resort to foul means
-
(esp of weather) unpleasant or adverse
-
blocked or obstructed with dirt or foreign matter
a foul drain
-
entangled or impeded
a foul anchor
-
(of the bottom of a vessel) covered with barnacles and other growth that slow forward motion
-
informal unsatisfactory or uninteresting; bad
a foul book
-
archaic ugly
noun
-
sport
-
a violation of the rules
-
( as modifier )
a foul shot
a foul blow
-
-
something foul
-
an entanglement or collision, esp in sailing or fishing
verb
-
to make or become dirty or polluted
-
to become or cause to become entangled or snarled
-
(tr) to disgrace or dishonour
-
to become or cause to become clogged or choked
-
(tr) nautical (of underwater growth) to cling to (the bottom of a vessel) so as to slow its motion
-
(tr) sport to commit a foul against (an opponent)
-
(tr) baseball to hit (a ball) in an illegal manner
-
(intr) sport to infringe the rules
-
(tr) (of an animal, especially a dog) to defecate on
do not let your dog foul the footpath
-
to collide with (a boat, etc)
adverb
-
in a foul or unfair manner
-
-
to come into conflict with
-
nautical to come into collision with
-
Related Words
See dirty.
Other Word Forms
- foully adverb
- overfoul adjective
- overfoully adverb
- overfoulness noun
- unfoul adjective
- unfouled adjective
- unfoully adverb
Etymology
Origin of foul
before 900; (adj. and noun) Middle English ful, foul, Old English fūl; cognate with Gothic fuls, Old Norse fūll, Old High German fūl; akin to Latin pūs pus, pūtēre to stink, Greek pýon pus; (adv.) Middle English fule, foule, derivative of the adj.; (v.) Middle English fulen, derivative of the adj.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
No two fouls are ever the same and there are subtle differences between the two.
From BBC
Not every Australian will have to prove their age, only those suspected of falling foul of the ban.
From Barron's
Calling the fight a no-contest meant he deemed the foul accidental rather than intentional.
From BBC
This centre-forward position allowed him to hold the ball up and win fouls more reliably than Zirkzee did in the first half against direct pressure.
From BBC
In neither case did security officials find signs of foul play.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
