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

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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

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

How to use foul in a sentence

During the 1972-73 season, when he was named Coach of the Year, he was whistled for more than 20 technical fouls.
Tom Heinsohn, mainstay of Boston Celtics dynasty as player, coach, dies at 86|Matt Schudel|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
Meanwhile, the network’s opinion hosts, who have close relationships with the president, have been suggesting that there was some foul play.
Fox News cuts away from Kayleigh McEnany news conference after she alleges vote fraud with no evidence|Elahe Izadi, Sarah Ellison|November 9, 2020|Washington Post
Because he is so big and so strong, defenders’ contact is less likely to affect him, and therefore officials are less likely to call fouls on him.
Seahawks star DK Metcalf is impossible to miss. So how did the NFL miss on him?|Adam Kilgore|November 6, 2020|Washington Post
The number of foul balls surpassed balls in play in 2017, and more balls were hit out of play than in play for the fourth consecutive season this year.
The Postseason Is A Two-Strike Game, And Other Observations From The MLB Playoffs|Travis Sawchik|October 9, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

When scavenging, bones with clinging rotten meat or a foul decayed smell should be avoided.
Bone broth will sustain you at home and in the wild. Here’s how to make it.|By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life|October 5, 2020|Popular-Science
Instead, she fouled out by trying to defend Obama and downplay the deportation crisis.
Hillary Clinton’s Latino Problem|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|June 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The AHA stepped up to the plate, but instead of an out-of-the-ballpark home run, it fouled out.
The AHA’s Absurd Saturated Fat Obsession|Dr. Barbara H. Roberts|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He once fouled Barack on the Harvard Law School basketball courts, but voted for him in 2008.
Meet Anthony Scaramucci, Mitt's Man on Wall Street|Alex Klein|August 30, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Americans long for a straight-talking businessman who can save the country from the political class that fouled everything up.
Why Candidate Trump Is Leading the Polls|Matt Latimer|April 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
“It looks as if something had fouled at the fore top,” replied Jimmie.
Boy Scouts in the North Sea|G. Harvey Ralphson
You that have fouled the purple, broke your vow, And sowed the wind of death, the whirlwind you shall reap.
Raemaekers' Cartoons|Louis Raemaekers
The net unfortunately fouled on a rocky bottom and so we gained nothing but experience in the operation.
The Home of the Blizzard|Douglas Mawson
All he alleged was, that the child fouled the bed in which they lay together; that she was sulky, and that he did not like her.
The Chronicles of Crime or The New Newgate Calendar. v. 1/2|Camden Pelham
Eating a soft tathy pasture, particularly if fouled by the inundations of the previous winter.
A Treatise on Sheep:|Ambrose Blacklock

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 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