foe

¹

[foh]

noun

1. a person who feels enmity, hatred, or malice toward another; enemy.

   a bitter foe.

   Synonyms: antagonist, opponent
   Antonyms: friend

2. a military enemy; hostile army.

   Antonyms: friend

3. a person belonging to a hostile army or nation.

   Synonyms: antagonist, opponent
   Antonyms: friend

4. an opponent in a game or contest; adversary.

   a political foe.

   Synonyms: antagonist, opponent

5. a person who is opposed in feeling, principle, etc., to something.

   a foe to progress in civil rights.

   Synonyms: antagonist, opponent

6. a thing that is harmful to or destructive of something.

   Sloth is the foe of health.

F.O.E.

²

abbreviation

1. Fraternal Order of Eagles.

FoE

¹

abbreviation

1. Friends of the Earth

foe

²

/ fəʊ /

noun

1. formal,  another word for enemy

Word History and Origins

Origin of foe¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English foo, Old English fāh “hostile,” gefāh “enemy”; cognate with Old High German gifēh “at war”; feud ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of foe¹

Old English fāh hostile; related to Old High German fēhan to hate, Old Norse feikn dreadful; see _feud ¹

Synonym Study

See enemy.

Example Sentences

"They can flare open to handle flowers or crunch a foe."

Read more on Science Daily

Perhaps Shevchenko looked outside the flyweight division because she has continuously got the better of foes within it.

Read more on BBC

It’s always easier to close ranks against the external foe than to battle the enemy within.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Over the weekend, strikes killed five other people, with Israel accusing its Iran-backed foe Hezbollah of rearming.

Read more on Barron's

Israel’s radical Islamic foes became America’s enemies, and its struggle the West’s struggle.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• adversary 
• antagonist 
• enemy 
• rival