foul

[ foul ]

/ faʊl /

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See synonyms for: foul / fouled / fouling on Thesaurus.com

adjective, foul·er, foul·est.

grossly offensive to the senses; disgustingly loathsome; noisome: a foul smell.

containing or characterized by offensive or noisome matter: foul air; foul stagnant water.

filthy or dirty, as places, receptacles, clothes, etc.

muddy, as a road.

clogged or obstructed with foreign matter: a foul gas jet.

unfavorable or stormy: foul weather.

contrary, violent, or unfavorable, as the wind.

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 (opposed to 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.

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.

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 or away): 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 Phrases

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.

foul up, Informal. to cause confusion or disorder; bungle; spoil.

OTHER WORDS FOR foul

1 repulsive, repellent.

2 fetid, putrid, stinking.

3 unclean, polluted, sullied, soiled, stained, tainted, impure.

6 rainy, tempestuous.

7 adverse.

9 base, shameful, infamous.

10 smutty, vulgar, coarse, low.

24 sully, stain, dirty, besmirch, taint, pollute.

28 shame.

See synonyms for foul on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR foul

1 pleasant.

3, 24 clean.

5, 6 clear.

See antonyms for foul on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

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Idioms about foul

fall foul / afoul of,

to collide with, as ships.
to come into conflict with; quarrel.
to make an attack; assault.

foul one's nest, to dishonor one's own home, family, or the like.

run foul / afoul of, to come into collision or controversy with: to run foul of the press.

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 pūspus, pūtēre to stink, Greek pýon pus; (adv.) Middle English fule, foule, derivative of the adj.; (v.) Middle English fulen, derivative of the adj.

synonym study for foul

3. See dirty.

OTHER WORDS FROM foul

foully, adverbo·ver·foul, adjectiveo·ver·foul·ly, adverbo·ver·foul·ness, noun

un·foul, adjectiveun·foul·ly, adverbun·fouled, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH foul

foul , fowl

Words nearby foul

foudre, foudroyant, fouetté, fought, Foujita, foul, foulard, foul ball, foulbrood, fouled-up, foulie

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use foul in a sentence

Entering through a window, Mono emerges into a foul kitchen where insects buzz over towering dirty dishes.
‘Little Nightmares II’: A hypnotic, dark fairy tale|Christopher Byrd|February 9, 2021|Washington Post
Jamorko Pickett posted 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists, and Chudier Bile also scored 12 points before fouling out.
Georgetown continues to play well but falls short in the end against Villanova|Kareem Copeland|February 7, 2021|Washington Post
We all have to go in and rebound and take an offensive foul.
Wizards’ defense falters again in a 119-97 loss to the Hornets|Ava Wallace|February 7, 2021|Washington Post
The 22-year-old forward didn’t shoot well and flubbed fouling Heat center Bam Adebayo when the big man caught the ball on an inbounds pass during the last play of the game with the Washington Wizards up three.
Rui Hachimura and Deni Avdija are regaining their footing after missing so much time|Ava Wallace|February 4, 2021|Washington Post

Justyn Mutts added 17 points, and Hunter Cattoor scored 12 before fouling out.
Pitt pulls away from Virginia Tech in second half|Gene Wang|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
Father Joel Román Salazar died in a car crash in 2013; his death was ruled an accident, but the suspicion of foul play persists.
Mexico’s Priests Are Marked for Murder|Jason McGahan|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Malcolm Tucker, a foul-mouthed political advisor, was the role that turned Capaldi into a household name in Britain.
Doctor Who: It’s Time For a Black, Asian, or Woman Doctor|Nico Hines|December 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Foul-mouthed chauvinist who flirted with chicks in a hot tub or celebrity-friendly sociopolitical satirist?
Canada’s Subversive Sock Puppet: Ed the Sock Isn’t Afraid to Say Anything|Soraya Roberts|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Playing the foul-mouthed bad character will become as predictable and counter-intuitive as a playing a thousand Joeys.
How Can Katie Holmes Escape Tom Cruise—and ‘Dawson’s Creek’?|Tim Teeman|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Miller took particular exception to a post in which Kelley had worried she might fall victim to foul play.
The Mystery Woman Who Tried to Outdo Dillinger|Michael Daly|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two years later this promising recruit, having fallen foul of the military authorities, had to leave the service under a cloud.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
But I have some more foul way to trot through still, in your Epistles and Satyrs, &c.
A Letter from Mr. Cibber to Mr. Pope|Colley Cibber
After he was securely bound he was forced to stand while the two, with foul epithets, hung the body of the corporal over the road.
The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
Without warning, we found ourselves foul of a picket-line, and the vague forms of grazing horses loomed close by.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
But it was strongly rumoured that there had been foul play, peculation, even forgery.
The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

British Dictionary definitions for foul

foul

/ (faʊl) /

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; vulgarfoul language

not in accordance with accepted standards or established rules; unfairto resort to foul means

(esp of weather) unpleasant or adverse

blocked or obstructed with dirt or foreign mattera foul drain

entangled or impededa foul anchor

(of the bottom of a vessel) covered with barnacles and other growth that slow forward motion

informal unsatisfactory or uninteresting; bada 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 ondo not let your dog foul the footpath

to collide with (a boat, etc)

adverb

in a foul or unfair manner

fall foul of

to come into conflict with
nautical to come into collision with

Derived forms of foul

foully, adverb

Word Origin for foul

Old English fūl; related to Old Norse fūll, Gothic fūls smelling offensively, Latin pūs pus, Greek puol pus

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with foul

foul

In addition to the idioms beginning with foul

foul one's nest
foul play
foul up

also see:

run afoul of

foul

OTHER WORDS FOR foul

OPPOSITES FOR foul

Idioms about foul

Origin of foul

synonym study for foul

OTHER WORDS FROM foul

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH foul

Words nearby foul

Words related to foul

How to use foul in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for foul

Derived forms of foul

Word Origin for foul

Other Idioms and Phrases with foul