foe

1 of 2

noun

ˈfō How to pronounce foe (audio)
Synonyms of foe
1
: one who has personal enmity for another
Embrace, embrace, my Sons! be foes no more!—Alexander Pope
2
a
: an enemy in war
b
: adversary, opponent
a political foe
3
: one who opposes on principle
a foe of needless expenditures
a foe of censorship
4
: something prejudicial or injurious
a foe to health

FOE

2 of 2

abbreviation

Fraternal Order of Eagles

Synonyms of foe

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Noun

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Examples of foe in a Sentence

Noun Many considered him a foe of democracy. Her ability was acknowledged by friend and foe alike.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Holland’s Spider-Man relates more personally to everyone — friends and foes — than any other superhero; his scenes with the Punisher (Jon Bernthal), Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), Det. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026 Even with that, the best version of the LeBron-Curry bond happened as foes. — Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026 After a nine-month pause, Houthi militants in Yemen allied to Iran resumed attacks on vessels in the Red Sea on July 22, 2026, directly targeting the group’s longtime foe Saudi Arabia. — Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 Today, however, several armed groups allied with Tehran are back to pressuring Iran’s foes by opening new fronts that complicate the war and threaten to choke the global economy. — Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for foe

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English fo, from Old English fāh, from fāh, adjective, hostile; akin to Old High German gifēh hostile

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foe was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing foe

Rhymes for foe

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Browse Nearby Words

fodient
foe
FOE
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Cite this Entry

“Foe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foe. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

foe

noun
ˈfō How to pronounce foe (audio)
1
: one who hates another
2
: an enemy in war

More from Merriam-Webster on foe

Nglish: Translation of foe for Spanish Speakers

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