befoul

[ bih-foul ]

/ bɪˈfaʊl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR befoul ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to make dirty or filthy; soil; defile; sully: a bird that befouls its own nest.

Nearby words

before the wind, before you can say jack robinson, before you know it, beforehand, beforetime, befoul, befriend, befuddle, beg, beg off, beg the question

Origin of befoul

First recorded in 1275–1325, befoul is from the Middle English word bi-foulen. See be-, foul

Related forms

be·foul·er, nounbe·foul·ment, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for befoul

Adolf Hitler, despite being the most evil force ever to befoul mankind, was also a kind and conscientious employer.
Secrets of Nazi Secretaries|Andrew Roberts|August 30, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He, the officer, must befoul his person and derange his hours of rest and recreation, that others may enjoy.
Shandygaff|Christopher Morley
Can anything be so bad as the living bush which bleeds and talks, or the Harpies who befoul Aeneas's dinner?
Life and Letters of Lord Macaulay|George Otto Trevelyan
Self-consciousness compels such creatures to befoul their origin.
The Remarkable History of Sir Thomas Upmore, bart., M.P., formerly known as "Tommy Upmore"|R. D. Blackmore

I could not prevent myself from saying, "Do you think it is nice to befoul your own nest?"
My Actor-Husband|Anonymous
They will close in on you tomorrow—you and all the dirty vermin that befoul these cliffs.
Wappin' Wharf|Charles S. Brooks

British Dictionary definitions for befoul

befoul

/ (bɪˈfaʊl) /

verb

(tr) to make dirty or foul; soil; defile

Derived Forms

befouler, nounbefoulment, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012