foe

1 of 2

noun

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

FOE

2 of 2

abbreviation

Fraternal Order of Eagles

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
The club’s 48 points are the most league-wide, but fellow Eastern Conference foes Nashville SC and Philadelphia Union aren’t far behind. Jenny Catlin, New York Times, 26 July 2025 President Donald Trump is once again aiming at his usual late-night foes. Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 23 July 2025 The two foes traded hundreds of strikes, with the U.S. conducting its own series of strikes against the key Iranian enrichment sites of Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz, followed by an Iranian missile strike on a U.S. base in Qatar, until Trump announced a ceasefire on June 24. Tom O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 July 2025 Ernst said warm things about Nikki Haley, Trump’s top primary foe, but quickly backed him after Haley dropped out in 2024. Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 23 July 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foe. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

foe

noun
1
: one who hates another
2
: an enemy in war

More from Merriam-Webster on foe

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