foe
1 Americannoun
-
a person who feels enmity, hatred, or malice toward another; enemy.
a bitter foe.
- Synonyms:
- antagonist, opponent
- Antonyms:
- friend
-
a military enemy; hostile army.
- Antonyms:
- friend
-
a person belonging to a hostile army or nation.
- Synonyms:
- antagonist, opponent
- Antonyms:
- friend
-
an opponent in a game or contest; adversary.
a political foe.
- Synonyms:
- antagonist, opponent
-
a person who is opposed in feeling, principle, etc., to something.
a foe to progress in civil rights.
- Synonyms:
- antagonist, opponent
-
a thing that is harmful to or destructive of something.
Sloth is the foe of health.
abbreviation
abbreviation
noun
Related Words
See enemy.
Etymology
Origin of foe
First recorded before 900; Middle English foo, Old English fāh “hostile,” gefāh “enemy”; cognate with Old High German gifēh “at war”; feud 1
Explanation
A foe is an enemy. Foes can range from an adversary of one person to that of a nation, from “he is my foe” to “they are my foe.” There is also a “that is my foe” who those who are trying to diet know well, aka chocolate. A cousin of the word feud (though they don’t get a long of course) foe may refer to a military opponent or a personal nemesis or rival — Lex Luthor is Superman’s foe. Historically, foes often come in pairs — such as the North and the South in the Civil War. The word foe is sometimes used for an opposing concept or a thing — if you are on a diet, chocolate may be your foe.
Vocabulary lists containing foe
Beowulf vocabulary
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The Star Spangled Banner
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"Jabberwocky" by Lewis Carroll
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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.
He didn’t want to signal intent or commit to an action, he wanted the foe wondering what he’d do next.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026
As the company prepares for a public launch, experts have said SpaceX’s IPO could wind up a friend or foe to the space sector, which itself is no stranger to meme stocks.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
Others relish the chance to go toe-to-toe with a dealmaking foe.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 14, 2026
But neither foe had a great quarterback pressure defense while the Patriots ranked fifth in the league in that category.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026
She then folded herself up into that loaf shape peculiar to cats and regarded her vanquished foe with enormous feline satisfaction, her duty done.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
