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
And just like that, Love’s vanquished foe found a new lease of life. Jack Bantock, CNN, 14 Mar. 2025 The two geriatric foes square-off nightly for a game of cat-and-mouse that involves Crealy using Jenny — both as a mask to deflect the suspicion of the nursing staff and as an instrument of torture with the Judge. Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025 Missouri has given up 90-plus points to five of its last six foes. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 13 Mar. 2025 Trump’s economic troubles put Republicans in a tough spot President Donald Trump's full-speed-ahead approach has led to tariffs on U.S. friends and foes alike, as well as deep cuts to federal government jobs, grants and contracts. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 13 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 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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