foul
foul — adjective
1. having a very bad smell, taste, or general quality that makes people feel sick o
having a very bad smell, taste, or general quality that makes people feel sick or want to avoid it.
The milk in the fridge gave off a foul smell after sitting for days.
foul smell — very bad odor
After the storm, the basement filled with foul water that smelled like rotten eggs.
The water from the old pipe had a foul taste, so Minh bought bottled water.
foul taste — extremely unpleasant flavor
A foul odor from the rubbish bins made the neighbours close all their windows.
The weather turned foul, with heavy rain and strong winds keeping everyone indoors.
foul weather — stormy and unpleasant conditions
- foul smell
- foul taste
- foul odor
- foul weather
- foul air
- disgusting
more common in everyday speech, same intensity
- nasty
slightly less strong, often used for tastes and smells
- revolting
stronger, suggests physical sickness
- putrid
specifically describes rotting organic matter
Usage Note
Commonly used with nouns describing sensory experiences such as 'smell', 'taste', 'odour', and 'weather'.
Common Mistakes
2. containing rude, obscene, or socially unacceptable words and expressions that ar
containing rude, obscene, or socially unacceptable words and expressions that are likely to offend people.
The coach used foul language when arguing with the referee and received a warning.
foul language — rude, swearing words
Ava told her little brother not to repeat the foul words he heard on television.
Film-makers were told that the foul language in their movie was too strong for a general audience.
Talia was shocked by the foul remarks made during the meeting by her colleague.
foul remarks — offensive comments
Anya complained to the hotel manager about the foul language coming from the room next door.
- foul language
- foul mouth
- foul words
- foul speech
- foul talk
Usage Note
Usually placed before nouns such as 'language', 'speech', 'mouth', 'words', or 'remarks'. Not used to describe visual obscenity (use 'obscene' or 'indecent' instead).
Common Mistakes
3. describing an action in a sport that the official rules do not allow and that us
describing an action in a sport that the official rules do not allow and that usually results in a penalty for the player or team.
The basketball player received a foul warning after pushing his opponent to the ground.
foul (adj.) — describing an illegal move in sports
A foul throw in soccer gives the other team a free kick from that spot.
Karim was sent off after a foul tackle that hurt the other player's ankle.
The referee called a charging foul when the basketball player slammed into the defender.
charging foul — a basketball term for an offensive foul
Sari was warned that repeated foul play could get her banned from the tournament.
foul play — actions that break sports rules
- foul tackle
- foul play
- foul ball
- foul throw
- foul hit
Usage Note
In sports contexts, 'foul' can be both an adjective (a foul tackle) and a noun (he committed a foul). The adjective form describes the nature of the action itself.
4. wrong according to moral rules, especially because it involves dishonest, cruel,
wrong according to moral rules, especially because it involves dishonest, cruel, or harmful actions that most people would consider bad.
The company used foul means to steal trade secrets from its competitor.
foul means — dishonest methods
Many people consider cheating the elderly out of their savings a foul act.
The mayor's foul dealings with property developers were uncovered by a local journalist.
Eli believed that lying to the court was a foul betrayal of his duty.
The charity was shut down after investigators discovered its foul practices.
foul practices — dishonest or corrupt activities
- foul means
- foul deed
- foul crime
- foul act
- foul practice
- virtuous
opposite in moral character
- honourable
opposite in conduct and principles
Usage Note
More formal and literary than other senses of 'foul'. Often appears in fixed phrases such as 'by fair means or foul' (idiom) and 'foul deed'. Less common in everyday conversation; 'evil' or 'corrupt' are more frequent alternatives.
Common Mistakes
foul up
phrasal verbto spoil or ruin something by making mistakes or handling it badly; to do a task poorly.
The new intern fouled up the order by entering the wrong customer address.
Tomás fouled up his chances of getting the job by arriving late to the interview.
foul play
idiomcriminal or dishonest activity, especially violence that leads to someone being harmed or killed.
The police found no signs of foul play and closed the case as an accident.
When the money went missing, the company suspected foul play among the staff.
using any method possible, whether honest or dishonest, in order to achieve a goal.
The politician was determined to win the election by fair means or foul.
Owen wanted the promotion by fair means or foul, even if it meant lying.
fall foul of
idiomto get into trouble with a person, group, or organization because of doing something wrong or against their rules.
The journalist fell foul of the government after publishing the secret report.
Lakshmi fell foul of the school rules when she copied answers from a friend.
cry foul
idiomto complain publicly that something is unfair or that someone has acted dishonestly.
The losing team cried foul, claiming the referee had helped their opponents.
When the contract was given to a friend of the boss, the other workers cried foul.
To do something that causes a person or organization to be angry or to punish you.
Mina fell foul of the school principal after skipping class.
Did the company fall foul of environmental regulations?
foul — noun
1. an action in a sporting contest that breaks the official regulations and gives t
an action in a sporting contest that breaks the official regulations and gives the other team or player a penalty or advantage.
The defender committed a foul by grabbing the attacker's shirt in the penalty area.
commit a foul — break the rules of a sport
Mizuki received her second foul of the match and had to sit on the bench.
In basketball, a player who gets five personal fouls must leave the game.
personal foul — a rule infraction against another player
Heloísa protested loudly when the referee missed the foul on her teammate near the corner flag.
Tariro earned a free kick after being stopped by a foul near the goal.
- commit a foul
- personal foul
- technical foul
- call a foul
- foul line
- infringement
more formal, used in official rulebooks
- violation
broader term, used in any rule-based context
- penalty
sometimes the punishment itself rather than the action
Usage Note
Frequently paired with 'commit' (commit a foul). In team sports, different numbers of fouls trigger different penalties — common information useful for learners watching or playing sports.
Common Mistakes
2. a ball in baseball struck by the batter that lands outside the two white lines m
a ball in baseball struck by the batter that lands outside the two white lines marking the side edges of the playing field.
The batter hit a foul that flew into the crowd behind third base.
hit a foul — baseball term for a ball hit out of play
Andrew swung hard but sent the ball into foul territory on the right.
The umpire shouted 'foul' as soon as the ball crossed the line near the stands.
Chen hit three fouls in a row before finally getting a strike.
Fans in the front row reached out their hands hoping to catch a foul.
catch a foul — fans trying to catch a ball hit out of play
- hit a foul
- catch a foul
- foul ball
- foul line
- foul territory
- foul pole
- foul ball
the full term; 'foul' is a shortened form
- fair ball
a ball hit inside the playing area
Usage Note
Primarily used in American baseball contexts. In baseball statistics, fouls do not count as strikes unless the ball was bunted foul with two strikes already. The noun 'foul' here is short for 'foul ball'.
foul — verb
1. to violate a sport's regulations through illegal physical contact with or blocki
to violate a sport's regulations through illegal physical contact with or blocking of an opposing player.
The defender fouled the attacker as he ran towards the goal, stopping the play.
foul (v.) + opponent — illegally make contact with another player
Christopher fouled the shooter going up for the basket and gave away two free throws.
Mert was given a yellow card after he fouled the striker for the second time in the match.
Adisa jumped for the header but was careful not to foul the defender beneath him.
The goalkeeper fouled the striker inside the box, resulting in a penalty kick.
- foul an opponent
- foul a player
- get fouled
- foul hard
Grammar Patterns
foul + noun (opponent)
foul without object
Usage Note
Can be used transitively (foul someone) or intransitively (he fouled). In broadcast sports commentary, the passive form is also common: 'he was fouled'.
Common Mistakes
2. to make something dirty, polluted, or no longer clean, especially by adding harm
to make something dirty, polluted, or no longer clean, especially by adding harmful or unpleasant substances.
The factory's waste pipes fouled the river that ran through the village.
foul (v.) + river — pollute a body of water
Oil spills from ships continue to foul beaches along the coast every year.
The dog fouled the new carpet, and the family had to call a cleaning service.
Chemical waste from the mine fouled the groundwater that local farmers relied on.
Élise was upset when the muddy boots fouled her freshly washed kitchen floor.
foul (v.) + surface — make dirty by contact
- foul the water
- foul the air
- foul the ground
- foul a surface
- foul a reputation
- soil
less strong, often means slightly dirty
- pollute
more formal, specifically about harmful substances in the environment
- contaminate
formal, implies making unsafe by adding harmful material
- stain
leaves a visible mark rather than general dirtiness
Grammar Patterns
foul + noun (place/thing)
be fouled by + noun
Usage Note
Also used figuratively to mean 'spoil or ruin' an experience or reputation (e.g. 'the scandal fouled his good name'). However, the literal sense of making physically dirty is more common.
Common Mistakes
3. in the sport of baseball, to send the ball past the two lines that mark the side
in the sport of baseball, to send the ball past the two lines that mark the side edges of the field.
The batter fouled the first pitch straight back into the screen behind home plate.
foul (v.) + ball — hit the ball outside the playing area in baseball
Dylan tried for a home run but fouled the ball to left field.
Rivera fouled off three pitches in a row to stay in the at-bat.
foul off — phrasal verb in baseball: hitting foul intentionally
Mark swung and fouled, sending the ball into the stands near the dugout.
- foul a pitch
- foul a ball
- foul off
- foul one off
Grammar Patterns
foul + ball (transitive)
foul (intransitive)
Usage Note
Commonly used with 'off' as a phrasal verb ('foul off') meaning to hit pitches foul deliberately to avoid striking out. Only relevant in baseball contexts, which is primarily an American sport.
foul — adverb
1. in a dishonest, unfair, or rule-breaking manner; used mainly in sports and compe
in a dishonest, unfair, or rule-breaking manner; used mainly in sports and competition contexts.
The team accused their rivals of playing foul during the championship match.
play foul — act in an unfair or rule-breaking way
The opposition claimed the election had been played foul, so the committee ordered a new vote.
played foul — adverb collocation meaning done unfairly or dishonestly
Mark said the organizers had acted foul by excluding him from the final event.
acted foul — behaved unfairly or dishonestly
The tennis player was warned for acting foul when he shouted at the line judge.
act foul — behave in an unfair or unsportsmanlike way
- play foul
- run foul
- act foul
- treat someone foul
- unfairly
the standard adverb, much more common than 'foul'
- dishonestly
focuses on deception rather than rules
- fairly
opposite of rule-abiding conduct
Usage Note
The adverb 'foul' is much less common than the adjective. It appears mostly in set phrases like 'play foul' or 'run foul'. The form 'foully' exists but is very rare and literary.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- foullyadverbC1
- foulnessnounC1
- foulernounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All four words describe something extremely unpleasant to the senses, but they differ in intensity and specific use. 'Foul' is the broadest of the group — it covers bad smells, tastes, weather, and even moral decay. 'Disgusting' is the most common everyday alternative and works for both physical and behavioural contexts ('a disgusting habit'). 'Nasty' is slightly milder and often implies something unpleasant in a less dramatic way ('a nasty cold', 'nasty weather'). 'Revolting' is stronger than 'foul'; it suggests that something makes you feel physically sick or want to turn away. 'Putrid' is the most specific — it only applies to things that are rotting or decomposing ('putrid meat', 'putrid water'). For a learner, 'disgusting' and 'nasty' are the safest everyday choices; 'foul' sits between them in formality; 'revolting' and 'putrid' are for stronger or more specific descriptions.
Common collocations
Nouns
- play
- language
- smell
- taste
- weather
- means
- ball
- tackle
- shot
- crime
- deed
Adverbs
- foully
Phrases
- by fair means or foul
- fall foul of
- cry foul
- through foul and fair
Prepositions
- for
- on
- against
Etymology
The word 'foul' comes from Old English 'fūl', which meant 'dirty, rotten, or corrupt'. It can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic word '*fūlaz' and further to the Proto-Indo-European root '*pū-', meaning 'to rot or decay'. This same ancient root gave rise to related words in other languages, such as Latin 'putere' (to stink) and 'putridus' (rotten), from which English later borrowed 'putrid' and 'putrefy'. The word has carried its core meaning of 'unclean, rotten, offensive' for well over a thousand years, though it gradually developed specific sports senses in the 18th–19th centuries as modern ball games were codified.