Foul — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb adverb /ˈfau̇(-ə)l/

Meaning & Definition of Foul

Foul (adjective)

  1. offensive to the senses, loathsome
  2. filled or covered with offensive matter
  3. being odorous and impure, polluted

Foul (noun)

  1. an infringement of the rules in a game or sport
  2. free throw
  3. foul ball

Foul (verb)

  1. to make foul
  2. to make dirty, pollute
  3. to tangle or come into collision with

Foul (adverb)

  1. in a foul manner, so as to be foul

Foul (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. causing intense displeasure, disgust, or resentment

    "a foul taste that made us gag"

    similar: abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, evil, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious, obnoxious, obscene, odious, offensive, rancid, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly
    related: exceptionable, objectionable, brackish, disagreeable, dislikable, unpleasant, contemptible, despicable, detestable, hard, hateful, unhealthy, unsavory, unwholesome, execrable, lousy, miserable, atrocious, frightful, ghastly, grim, grisly, gruesome, heinous, horrific, horrifying, lurid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish, sick, sickish, sickly, terrible, unspeakable, vile, off-putting, undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome, barbarous, unchristian, uncivilized, ungodly, unholy, distressing, disturbing, upsetting
    opposite: innocuous, inoffensive
    near: acceptable, agreeable, alluring, appealing, attractive, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, desirable, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, gratifying, heavenly, inviting, likable, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, savory, sweet, welcome, unexceptionable, unobjectionable, healthful, healthy, restorative, salubrious, salutary, wholesome

  2. marked by wet and windy conditions

    "the foul weather brought out the windbreakers and rain slickers as everyone braced for a day of rough sailing"

    similar: bleak, dirty, inclement, nasty, raw, rough, squally, stormy, tempestuous, turbulent
    related: blowy, blustering, blustery, breezy, gusty, windblown, windswept, cloudy, overcast, sunless, rainy, snowy, foggy, hazy, misty, murky, soupy
    opposite: bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded
    near: rainless, balmy, calm, halcyon, peaceful, placid, pleasant, serene

  3. not being in accordance with the rules or standards of what is fair in sport

    "an aggressive hockey player who is known for his foul play and readiness for a fight"

    similar: dirty, illegal, nasty, unfair, unsportsmanlike, below the belt
    related: dishonorable, shabby, shameful, ignoble, low, mean, ungentlemanly, immoral, rotten, unchivalrous, unethical, unjust, unprincipled, unrighteous, unscrupulous
    opposite: clean, fair, legal, sportsmanlike, sportsmanly
    near: just, law-abiding, ethical, moral, principled, righteous, scrupulous, honorable, irreproachable, unimpeachable

  4. depicting or referring to sexual matters in a way that is unacceptable in polite society

    "that movie features nonstop foul language"

    similar: bawdy, blue, coarse, crude, dirty, filthy, gross, gutter, impure, indecent, lascivious, lewd, locker-room, nasty, obscene, pornographic, porny, profane, raunchy, ribald, smutty, stag, trashy, unprintable, vulgar, wanton, X-rated
    related: broad, coarse-grained, gamy, off, off-color, racy, risqué, salacious, salty, suggestive, barnyard, earthy, scatological, immodest, indecorous, indelicate, low, unbecoming, depraved, kinky, louche, naughty, perverse, perverted, wicked, exceptionable, objectionable, unacceptable, undesirable, unwanted, unwelcome, abhorrent, debasing, disgusting, loathsome, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, distasteful, obnoxious, unpleasant, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, atrocious, infamous, abusive, scurrilous, hard-core, soft, soft-core
    opposite: clean, decent, G-rated, nonobscene, wholesome
    near: priggish, prim, prudish, puritanical, staid, straitlaced, Victorian, correct, decorous, genteel, nice, polite, proper, respectable, seemly, innocuous, inoffensive, acceptable, agreeable, desirable, pleasant, pleasing, welcome, appropriate, becoming, fit, meet, suitable, immaculate, perfect, pure, spotless, virginal, approved, endorsed, sanctioned

  5. having an unpleasant smell

    "the foul fumes from the paper mill"

    similar: fetid, frowsty (chiefly British), frowsy, funky, fusty, malodorous, musty, noisome, rank, reeking, reeky, ripe, smelly, stenchy, stinking, stinky, strong
    related: putrid, rancid, skunky, stale, bad, disgusting, offensive, repulsive, revolting, vile, decayed, decaying, decomposed, decomposing, rotted, rotten, rotting, spoiled, spoiling, dirty, filthy, nasty, noxious, odiferous, odoriferous, odorous
    opposite: ambrosial, aromatic, fragrant, perfumed, redolent, savory, scented, sweet
    near: flowery, fruity, spicy, woodsy

  6. not clean

    "I wouldn't play in the foul rainwater that's collected in the feeding trough"

    similar: bedraggled, befouled, begrimed, bemired, besmirched, black, blackened, cruddy, dingy, dirty, draggled, dusty, filthy, grimy, grotty (chiefly British), grubby, grungy, mucky, muddy, nasty, smudged, smutty, soiled, sordid, stained, sullied, unclean, uncleanly
    related: contaminated, defiled, germy, impure, polluted, tainted, insanitary, uncleaned, unsanitary, unsterile, unsterilized, unwashed, greasy, gunky, chaotic, cluttered, confused, disarranged, disarrayed, disheveled, disordered, jumbled, littered, messed, messy, muddled, mussed, mussy, rumpled, scruffy, sloppy, slovenly, unkempt, untidy, raunchy, scuzzy (slang), shabby, skanky (slang), sleazy, squalid, collied (chiefly British dialect), crocked (dialect), fuliginous, sooty
    opposite: clean, cleanly, immaculate, spick-and-span, spotless, stainless, ultraclean, unsoiled, unstained, unsullied
    near: clear, limpid, pure, cleaned, cleansed, combed, groomed, neat, ordered, orderly, tidy, bleached, purified, whitened, bright, flawless, perfect, shiny, sparkling, unspotted, untouched, taintless, unblemished, undefiled, unpolluted, untainted, virgin, wholesome

Foul (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make dirty

    "the mechanic fouled the bath towels with axle grease"

    similar: befoul, begrime, bemire, besmirch, blacken, daub, dirty, distain (archaic), gaum (dialect), grime, mire, muck, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully
    related: contaminate, defile, pollute, taint, discolor, confuse, disarrange, disarray, dishevel, disorder, draggle, jumble, mess, muddle, colly (chiefly British dialect), crock (dialect)
    opposite: clean, cleanse
    near: decontaminate, purge, purify, disinfect, sanitize, brush, dry-clean, dust, launder, mop, rinse, scour, scrub, sweep, wash, wipe, brighten, deodorize, freshen, renew, spruce (up), straighten (up), tidy (up)

  2. to make unfit for use by the addition of something harmful or undesirable

    "industrial pollution fouling the water supply"

    similar: befoul, contaminate, defile, poison, pollute, taint
    related: infect, begrime, besmirch, blacken, dirty, foul up, grime, mire, muddy, smirch, smudge, soil, stain, sully, corrupt, rot, spoil, adulterate, doctor, dilute, water down
    opposite: decontaminate, purify
    near: clarify, clean, cleanse, clear, distill, purge, filter, disinfect, sanitize, sterilize

  3. to reduce to a lower standing in one's own eyes or in others' eyes

    "the minister was irreparably fouled by baseless rumors and allegations"

    similar: abase, chasten, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, humble, humiliate, lower, shame, sink, smirch, take down
    related: abash, confound, confuse, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, embarrass, faze, fluster, mortify, nonplus, rattle, belittle, castigate, criticize, cry down, decry, depreciate, detract, diminish, discount, disparage, minimize, put down, ridicule, write off, bad-mouth, defame, defile, libel, malign, slander, affront, insult, censure, condemn, damn, denounce, execrate, reprehend, reprobate
    opposite: aggrandize, canonize, deify, elevate, exalt
    near: acclaim, applaud, boast, celebrate, cheer, cite, commend, compliment, congratulate, decorate, eulogize, extol, fete, hail, honor, laud, praise, salute, tout, acknowledge, recognize, highlight, play up, spotlight, dignify, ennoble, enshrine, ensky, enthrone, glorify, magnify, advance, boost, lift, promote, raise, upgrade, uplift, idealize, romanticize

  4. to go through decomposition

    "unless you want to smell the organic refuse as it fouls, locate the compost heap away from the house"

    similar: break down, corrupt, decay, decompose, disintegrate, fester, mold, molder, perish (chiefly British), putrefy, rot, spoil, fall apart, go to seed
    related: sour, turn, turn off (British), contaminate, defile, pollute, taint, addle, curdle, ferment, mortify, rust, crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, dilapidate, sink, wither
    near: age, develop, grow, mature, ripen, refresh, renew, restore, cleanse, purify, assemble, compose, integrate, ameliorate, better, improve, meliorate

Related Entry: Foul play (noun)

Foul play is a different word from Foul. The synonyms below are for foul play, not for foul.

  1. the intentional and unlawful taking of another person's life

    "the coroner ruled that there was no evidence of foul play"

    similar: blood, homicide, murder, rubout, slaying
    related: chance-medley, killing, manslaughter, bloodshed, butchery, carnage, decimation, destruction, massacre, slaughter, assassination, execution, hit, euthanasia, mercy killing, filicide, fratricide, matricide, parricide, patricide, regicide, uxoricide

  2. the use of brute strength to cause harm to a person or property

    "the suspect has a long history of foul play, and was once convicted on assault and battery charges"

    similar: force, violence
    related: coercion, compulsion, constraint, duress, pressure, barbarity, brutality, savagery, damage, detriment, harm, hurt, impairment, injury, crippling, maiming, mayhem, mutilation, assault, attack, bashing, battering, battery, batting, beating, belting, bludgeoning, buffeting, clubbing, cudgeling, drubbing, flogging, hammering, lacing, licking, mauling, paddling, pelting, pommeling, pounding, pummeling, smashing, socking, thrashing, thumping, tromping, walloping, whaling, whipping, frenzy, fury, onslaught, outbreak, outrage, paroxysm, rage, rampage, revolt, riot, rupture, shock, storm, terror, threat, tumult, turbulence, upheaval, uproar, browbeating, bulldozing, bullying, hectoring, strong-arming
    opposite: nonviolence
    near: pacificism, pacifism

Related Entry: Foul-up (noun)

Foul-up is a different word from Foul. The synonyms below are for foul-up, not for foul.

  1. an instance of confusion

    "there was a foul-up with our mail order, and not one item arrived as ordered"

    similar: mix-up
    related: bobble, botch, bungle, fumble, blunder, error, fault, flub, goof, inaccuracy, lapse, miscue, misstep, mistake, oversight, slip, slipup, stumble, chaos, confusion, disarrangement, disarray, disorder, disorganization, hash, jumble, mess, muddle, shambles

Related Entry: Foul up (verb)

Foul up is a different word from Foul. The synonyms below are for foul up, not for foul.

  1. to make or do (something) in a clumsy or unskillful way

    "tried not to foul up the football play"

    similar: blow, bobble, boggle, bollix (up), boot, botch, bugger (up), bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), muck up, muff, murder, screw up
    related: blunder, gum (up), muddle, piffle, blemish, blight, damage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, mutilate, ruin, spoil, vitiate, destroy, wreck, mishandle, mismanage
    near: ameliorate, better, enhance, help, improve, meliorate, rectify, refine, reform, remedy, doctor, fix, patch, recondition, renovate, repair, revamp

  2. to make a mistake

    "unfortunately, I fouled up and in my e-mail gave everyone the wrong date for the meeting"

    similar: blunder, boob (British), err, flub, fluff, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mess (up), screw up, slip up, stumble, trip, drop the ball, lay an egg
    related: nod, bobble, botch, bungle, butcher, foozle, mangle, mishandle, muff, murder, miscalculate, misconceive, miscount, miscue, misdeem, misgauge, misjudge, mistake, misconstrue, misinterpret, misunderstand

Related Entry: Foul-ups (noun)

Foul-ups is a different word from Foul. The synonyms below are for foul-ups, not for foul.

  1. an instance of confusion

    "there was a foul-up with our mail order, and not one item arrived as ordered"

    similar: mix-ups
    related: bobbles, botches, bungles, fumbles, blunders, errors, faults, flubs, goofs, inaccuracies, lapses, miscues, missteps, mistakes, oversights, slips, slipups, stumbles, chaoses, confusions, disarrangements, disarrays, disorders, disorganizations, hashes, jumbles, messes, muddles, shambles

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Foul

The most common words with a similar meaning to Foul:

Chiefly British: frowsty, grotty, perish
Archaic: distain
Dialect: gaum
abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, evil, fulsome, gross, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrid, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, nauseous, noisome, noxious, obnoxious, obscene, odious, offensive, rancid, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, scandalous, shocking, sickening, ugly, bleak, dirty, inclement, raw, rough, squally, stormy

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Foul

Words with the opposite meaning of Foul:

innocuous, inoffensive, bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair, sunny, sunshiny, unclouded, clean, legal, sportsmanlike, sportsmanly, decent, G-rated, nonobscene, wholesome, ambrosial, aromatic, fragrant, perfumed, redolent, savory, scented, sweet, cleanly, immaculate, spick-and-span, spotless

Related Words for Foul

exceptionable, objectionable, brackish, disagreeable, dislikable, unpleasant, contemptible, despicable, detestable, hard, hateful, unhealthy, unsavory, unwholesome, execrable, lousy, miserable, atrocious, frightful, ghastly, grim, grisly, gruesome, heinous, horrific, horrifying, lurid, macabre, monstrous, nightmarish

Near Antonyms of Foul

acceptable, agreeable, alluring, appealing, attractive, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, desirable, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, gratifying, heavenly, inviting, likable, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, welcome, unexceptionable

Word Forms of Foul

Inflections: fouled, fouling, fouls

Derived words: foully (adverb), foulness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Foul

Middle English, from Old English fūl; akin to Old High German fūl rotten, Latin pus pus, putēre to stink, Greek pyon pus

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Foul

foul ball, foul line, foul of, foul out, foul play, foul shot

Frequently Asked Questions about Foul

What does "Foul" mean?

"Foul" means offensive to the senses, loathsome. As an an adjective, a noun, a verb and an adverb, it is defined as: offensive to the senses, loathsome. It has 10 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Foul"?

Other words for "Foul" include abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful and evil. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Foul" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Foul"?

There are 402 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Foul". Common alternatives include abhorrent, abominable, appalling, awful, disgusting, distasteful, dreadful, evil, fulsome and gross.

What is the opposite of "Foul"?

Antonyms of "Foul" include innocuous, inoffensive, bright, clear, clement, cloudless, fair and sunny. Near antonyms include acceptable, agreeable, alluring and appealing.

How do you use "Foul" in a sentence?

Examples of "Foul" in a sentence: "a foul taste that made us gag"; "the foul weather brought out the windbreakers and rain slickers as everyone braced for a day of rough sailing"; "an aggressive hockey player who is known for his foul play and readiness for a fight".

Is "Foul" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Foul" can be used as an adjective, a noun, a verb and an adverb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Foul"?

"Foul" is pronounced /ˈfau̇(-ə)l/.

What is the origin of the word "Foul"?

"Foul" comes from Middle English, from Old English fūl; akin to Old High German fūl rotten, Latin pus pus, putēre to stink, Greek pyon pus. First known use: before 12th century.