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foul
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- pronunciation:
- faUl
- parts of speech:
- adjective, adverb, noun, transitive verb, intransitive verb
- phrases:
- fall foul of, foul out, foul up, run foul of
- features:
- Word Combinations (adjective, noun, verb), Homophone Note, Word Explorer
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| inflections: |
fouler, foulest |
| definition 1: |
extremely offensive to the senses, esp. of smell and taste, or permeated by something, such as an odor, that is offensive to the senses.
A foul smell came from the latrines.The test tube emitted a foul vapor.
- synonyms:
- fetid, malodorous, mephitic, noisome, offensive, putrescent, putrid, rancid, rank, rotten, smelly, stinking, stinky
- antonyms:
- balmy, delightful, fragrant, pleasant
- similar words:
- corrupt, decayed, decomposed, disgusting, loathsome, mawkish, moldy, musty, nasty, nauseous, obnoxious, repulsive, spoiled
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| definition 2: |
extremely dirty or muddy.
The floors in the makeshift hospital were foul.Don't throw those foul rags on top of the clean ones.- synonyms:
- defiled, dirty, filthy, miry, muddy, sordid
- antonyms:
- pristine
- similar words:
- bedraggled, grubby, impure, polluted, squalid
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| definition 3: |
rotten, as food.
They found only some foul meat in the refrigerator.- synonyms:
- decayed, decomposed, rotten, spoiled
- antonyms:
- fresh, good
- similar words:
- rancid
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| definition 4: |
disagreeable or unfavorable, as weather.
The weather was so foul that the boat had to return to port.- synonyms:
- disagreeable, dreadful, inclement, rotten, stormy, terrible, unpleasant
- antonyms:
- fair, pleasant
- similar words:
- dirty, ill, loathsome, rainy, unfavorable, wet
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| definition 5: |
extremely offensive to moral standards or accepted rules; vile or unfair.
They feared he had been a victim of foul play.He'll be punished for these foul acts.- synonyms:
- crooked, dirty, immoral, obscene, unfair
- antonyms:
- just, righteous
- similar words:
- abominable, coarse, contemptible, corrupt, deceitful, dishonest, dishonorable, fraudulent, heinous, ignoble, indecent, iniquitous, knavish, lewd, nasty, profane, repulsive, rotten, shady, smutty, squalid, ugly, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, venal, vulgar
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| definition 6: |
in sports, pertaining to the area beyond that designated for fair play, or making contact with that area.
The ball rolled past the foul line.He hit a foul ball.- antonyms:
- fair
- similar words:
- out-of-bounds
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| definition 7: |
entangled or obstructed.
a foul fuel linea foul anchor chain- synonyms:
- choked, entangled, obstructed, snagged, snarled, tangled
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| related words: |
abusive, bad, base, contrary, hideous, horrendous, horrible, nefarious, obscene, out of bounds, outrageous, putrid, rank, reprehensible, sordid, ugly, vicious, vile |
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| part of speech: |
adverb |
| definition: |
in an extremely offensive or disagreeable manner.
She played foul in revealing her friend's secrets.- synonyms:
- below the belt
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| phrase: |
fall foul of, run foul of |
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| part of speech: |
noun |
| definition 1: |
an infraction of the rules of a game or sport.
Grabbing another player's jersey is a foul.- synonyms:
- infraction
- similar words:
- breach, infringement, transgression, violation
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| definition 2: |
in baseball, a ball hit to outside the lines drawn from the rear of the homeplate to the first and third bases; foul ball.
The catcher caught the foul, and the batter was out.- synonyms:
- foul ball
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| definition 3: |
a collision or entanglement, as of ships.
- synonyms:
- collision, crash
- similar words:
- smash-up
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| part of speech: |
transitive verb |
| inflections: |
fouls, fouling, fouled |
| definition 1: |
to make dirty or deposit filth in or on.
Their male cat continues to foul their carpet.- synonyms:
- befoul, besmirch, contaminate, defile, dirty, pollute, soil
- similar words:
- begrime, draggle, muck, poison, smirch, smudge
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| definition 2: |
to jam or obstruct (a gun barrel or the like).
- synonyms:
- block, clog, jam, obstruct
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| definition 3: |
to entangle or snag (a rope or other line).
- synonyms:
- entangle, snag, snarl, tangle
- similar words:
- snare
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| definition 4: |
to bring dishonor or disgrace to.
He fouled the good name of his family.- synonyms:
- besmirch, blacken, defile, dirty, dishonor, shame, stain
- similar words:
- besmear, smirch, soil, spatter, tarnish
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| definition 5: |
in games and sports, to commit a foul against (another player).
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| definition 6: |
in baseball, to hit (a foul ball).
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| related words: |
dirty, entangle, pollute, spoil, vitiate |
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| part of speech: |
intransitive verb |
| definition 1: |
to become foul.
- synonyms:
- decompose, putrefy, rot, spoil
- similar words:
- stink
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| definition 2: |
to commit an infraction of the rules of a game or sport.
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| definition 3: |
to become entangled, snagged, or jammed, as a rope or a gun barrel.
- synonyms:
- choke, jam, snag, snarl
- similar words:
- clog
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| definition 4: |
in baseball, to hit a foul ball.
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| related words: |
soil |
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| phrase: |
foul out, foul up |
| derivations: |
foully (adv.), foulness (n.) |
Are you looking for the word fowl (a bird). Foul and fowl sound alike but have different meanings.
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