Synonyms for foe
foʊfoe

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. foe

   An enemy in private life is one who is moved by hostile feeling with active disposition to injure; but in military language all who fight on the opposite side are called enemies or collectively "the enemy," where no personal animosity may be implied; foe, which is rather a poetical and literary word, implies intensely hostile spirit and purpose. An antagonist is one who opposes and is opposed actively and with intensity of effort; an opponent, one in whom the attitude of resistance is the more prominent; a competitor, one who seeks the same object for which another is striving; antagonists in wrestling, competitors in business, opponents in debate may contend with no personal ill will; rivals in love, ambition, etc., rarely avoid inimical feeling. Adversary was formerly much used in the general sense of antagonist or opponent, but is now less common, and largely restricted to the hostile sense; an adversary is ordinarily one who not only opposes another in fact, but does so with hostile spirit, or perhaps out of pure malignity; as, the great Adversary. Compare synonyms for AMBITION.

   Synonyms:
   adversary, antagonist, competitor, enemy, opponent, rival

   Antonyms:
   abettor, accessory, accomplice, ally, friend, helper, supporter

   Preposition:
   He was the enemy of my friend in the contest.

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. enemy, foe, foeman, oppositionnoun

   an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)

   "a soldier must be prepared to kill his enemies"

   Synonyms:
   resistance, foeman, oppositeness, opposite, enemy, confrontation, opposition, opponent

   Antonyms:
   ally, friend

2. foe, enemynoun

   a personal enemy

   "they had been political foes for years"

   Synonyms:
   opposition, foeman, enemy

   Antonyms:
   ally, friend

Matched Categories

1. • Adversary
   • Military

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:5.0 / 1 vote

1. foenoun

   Synonyms:
   enemy, adversary, opponent, antagonist, FOEMAN

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. foenoun

   Synonyms:
   antagonist, enemy, adversary, opponent

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:5.0 / 2 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "foe":

   enemy, enemies, adversary, opponent

Suggested Resources

1. FOE

   What does FOE stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the FOE acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

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How to use foe in a sentence?

1. Ron DeSantis:

   I've said previously that I would boycott [the Beijing Olympics]. I mean, I think it's a mistake. I mean, China is our number-one geopolitical foe. If you look at what they're doing, they're amassing huge amounts of power. And it's not just that they're building up their military, they are, they command huge influence within the United States.

2. Buddha:

   It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways.

3. Aristophenes:

   A man may learn wisdom even from a foe.

4. Ernest K. Gann, The Black Watch:

   If we slide into one of those rare moments of military honesty, we realize that the technical demands of modern warfare are so complex a considerable percentage of our material is bound to malfunction even before it is deployed against a foe. We no longer waste manpower by carrying the flag into battle. Instead we need battalions of electronic engineers to keep the terrible machinery grinding.

5. John Milton:

   Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe.