Do you know the definition of foe? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word foe, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word foe is a noun (pronunciation of foe: fəʊ) that refers to a person who has personal enmity for another. This could be an enemy in war, principle, or some other form of adversary. This might be an armed adversary or military force, such as armed forces, the military forces of a nation, armed services, a war machine, potential target, foes of liberty, civil rights deniers, or someone who generally has hatred or malice toward another, such as a mortal enemy, scoundrel, or one that a person holds a grudge against. The plural of foe is foes. This word is sometimes considered a shorthand, abbreviation, or slang term for the word foeman, though the full form is archaic.
Different languages also contain words that mean foe. You might notice that some of these words look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates. A cognate is when two different languages contain words that mean the same thing and also look and sound similar. These are often formed when the two words have the same language of origin like Latin or Greek. This list of translations of foe is provided by Word Sense.
The word foe can be used in many different sentences. Below are a few examples.
The political foes were eager to know who won the contest, though they knew they would have to find cooperation after the results came in.
His sloth was a bitter foe of health. If he was not so lazy, the doctors would not believe he was playing a dangerous game of death.
Though they were old foes during the military machine, the man decided to attend his bitter foe’s funeral mass out of respect.
While they were in awe of his intellect, a number of old friends of the politician lived in fear of his directness, and became more foe than friend in his empire of fear.
The once tenacious foes Anna and Charles became friends when they realized it was all due to a misunderstanding.
What are synonyms and antonyms for the word foe?
There are many different words that a person can use in place of the word foe. These are called synonyms, Which are words and phrases that mean the same thing as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your English language vocabulary and can help you avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms for the word foe is provided by Thesaurus.
assailant
saboteur
prosecutor
backbiter
asperser
betrayer
spy
rival
assassin
invader
archenemy
other side
guerrilla
criminal
murderer
disputant
fifth column
rebel
slanderer
bad person
opponent
enemy
bandit
inquisitor
defiler
competitor
antagonist
adversary
attacker
agent
traitor
defamer
calumniator
vilifier
terrorist
revolutionary
traducer
seditionist
opposition
detractor
villain
emulator
informer
contender
falsifier
Are also numerous different words that have the opposite meaning of the word foe. These opposite words are called antonyms. Learning antonyms is another great way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word foe is also provided by Thesaurus.
compatriot
playmate
chum
acquaintance
familiar
schoolmate
ally
buddy
cousin
comrade
mate
intimate
classmate
spare
consort
partner
friend
sidekick
soul mate
crony
cohort
alter ego
well-wisher
associate
colleague
roommate
companion
confidant
pal
bosom buddy
What is the origin of the word foe?
According to Etymonline, the word for comes from the Middle English fo, Old English gefea, Old English fāh, or Old English gefā. This comes from the adjective fah, from the Proto-Germanic faihaz, from the Old High German fēhan meaning to hate and the Gothic faih meaning deception. These likely have the same Proto-Indo-European roots as the Sanskrit pisunah and picacah, the Old Norse feikn, Old Frisian fāch, Latin piget, Albanian pis, and the Lithuanian piktas, peik and peikti.
Overall, the word foe means some enemy or adversary, or something injurious. This person often is in a feud with another person. This can refer to a military enemy, political foe, personal enemy, hostile army, or any other person who one feels is evil. This word origin is ofromf Old English, Middle English, and Proto-Germanic roots.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.