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foul
[ foul ]
adjective
- grossly offensive to the senses; disgustingly loathsome; noisome:
a foul smell.
Synonyms: repellent, repulsive
Antonyms: pleasant
- containing or characterized by offensive or noisome matter:
foul air; foul stagnant water.
- filthy or dirty, as places, receptacles, clothes, etc.
Synonyms: impure, polluted, unclean
Antonyms: clean
- muddy, as a road.
- clogged or obstructed with foreign matter:
a foul gas jet.
Antonyms: clear
- unfavorable or stormy:
foul weather.
Synonyms: tempestuous, rainy
Antonyms: clear
- contrary, violent, or unfavorable, as the wind.
Synonyms: adverse
- grossly offensive in a moral sense.
- abominable, wicked, or vile, as deeds, crime, slander, etc.
- scurrilous, profane, or obscene; offensive:
foul language.
- contrary to the rules or established usages, as of a sport or game; unfair:
a foul blow.
- Baseball. pertaining to a foul ball or a foul line.
- limited in freedom of movement by obstruction, entanglement, etc.:
a foul anchor.
- abounding in errors or in marks of correction, as a printer's proof, manuscript, or the like.
- Nautical.
- (of the underwater portion of a hull) encrusted and impeded with barnacles, seaweed, etc.
- (of a mooring place) involving inconveniences and dangers, as of colliding with vessels or other objects when swinging with the tide.
- (of the bottom of a body of water) affording a poor hold for an anchor ( clean ).
- North England and Scot.. not fair; ugly or unattractive.
- Obsolete. disfigured.
adverb
- in a foul manner; vilely; unfairly.
- Baseball. into foul territory; so as to be foul:
It looked like a homer when he hit it, but it went foul.
noun
- something that is foul.
- a collision or entanglement:
a foul between two racing sculls.
- a violation of the rules of a sport or game:
The referee called it a foul.
- Baseball. foul ball.
verb (used with object)
- to make foul; defile; soil.
Synonyms: pollute, taint, besmirch, dirty, stain, sully
Antonyms: clean
- to clog or obstruct, as a chimney or the bore of a gun.
- to collide with.
- to cause to become entangled or caught, as a rope.
- to defile; dishonor; disgrace:
His reputation had been fouled by unfounded accusations.
Synonyms: shame
- Nautical. (of barnacles, seaweed, etc.) to cling to (a hull) so as to encumber.
- Baseball. to hit (a pitched ball) foul (often followed by off or away ):
He fouled off two curves before being struck out on a fastball.
verb (used without object)
- to become foul.
- Nautical. to come into collision, as two boats.
- to become entangled or clogged:
The rope fouled.
- Sports. to make a foul play; give a foul blow.
- Baseball. to hit a foul ball.
verb phrase
- Informal. to cause confusion or disorder; bungle; spoil.
- Baseball. to be put out by hitting a foul ball caught on the fly by a player on the opposing team.
- Basketball. to be expelled from a game for having committed more fouls than is allowed.
foul
/ faʊl /
adjective
- offensive to the senses; revolting
- offensive in odour; stinking
- charged with or full of dirt or offensive matter; filthy
- (of food) putrid; rotten
- morally or spiritually offensive; wicked; vile
- obscene; vulgar
foul language
- not in accordance with accepted standards or established rules; unfair
to resort to foul means
- (esp of weather) unpleasant or adverse
- blocked or obstructed with dirt or foreign matter
a foul drain
- entangled or impeded
a foul anchor
- (of the bottom of a vessel) covered with barnacles and other growth that slow forward motion
- informal.unsatisfactory or uninteresting; bad
a foul book
- archaic.ugly
noun
- sport
- a violation of the rules
- ( as modifier )
a foul shot
a foul blow
- something foul
- an entanglement or collision, esp in sailing or fishing
verb
- to make or become dirty or polluted
- to become or cause to become entangled or snarled
- tr to disgrace or dishonour
- to become or cause to become clogged or choked
- tr nautical (of underwater growth) to cling to (the bottom of a vessel) so as to slow its motion
- tr sport to commit a foul against (an opponent)
- tr baseball to hit (a ball) in an illegal manner
- intr sport to infringe the rules
- tr (of an animal, especially a dog) to defecate on
do not let your dog foul the footpath
- to collide with (a boat, etc)
adverb
- in a foul or unfair manner
- fall foul of
- to come into conflict with
- nautical to come into collision with
Derived Forms
- ˈfoully, adverb
Other Words From
- foully adverb
- over·foul adjective
- over·foully adverb
- over·foulness noun
- un·foul adjective
- un·foully adverb
- un·fouled adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of foul1
Word History and Origins
Origin of foul1
Idioms and Phrases
- fall foul / afoul of,
- to collide with, as ships.
- to come into conflict with; quarrel.
- to make an attack; assault.
- foul one's nest, to dishonor one's own home, family, or the like.
- run foul / afoul of, to come into collision or controversy with:
to run foul of the press.
More idioms and phrases containing foul
- run afoul of
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Trump’s foul attacks on Zelenskyy are intended for an audience of one: Vladimir Putin.
Hightower leaped high to rebound a missed Adams jumper, whirled and made a layup while being fouled to put the top seed ahead, 69-68, with 49 seconds left.
When John's body was finally discovered by police in a lemon grove in Rojales, near Alicante, it was clear there had been foul play.
When a later foul was ruled on the floor, wiping out a made basket, he dismissively waved his hands at the refs in disbelief.
But a police investigation found no foul play.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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