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
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.
Despite a shared enmity for the United States and Israel, the Shiite and Sunni militias are bitter sectarian foes.
From Los Angeles Times
It was a gritty upset victory over a foe widely considered more talented, made possible through determination and sheer force of will.
From Los Angeles Times
While Russia’s economy and military face major obstacles, it is still a formidable foe, especially given the weight of China’s economy and military behind it.
This comes a day ahead a third round of talks between the two foes in Geneva.
From Barron's
Even Maekar’s political analysis cracks when confronted with the visual of Baelor standing in the mud with borrowed armor, fighting off Duncan’s foes, and of the assembled commons cheering for the hedge knight.
From Salon
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.
