foul
- 01 B1 Intermediate
adj.having a very bad smell or being very dirty.
adj.containing or covered with offensive or unclean matter; physically loathsome or putrid.
Simple“A foul smell was coming from the old bin in the kitchen.”
In context“The hikers were forced to turn back when they encountered the foul, stagnant water of the marshland.”
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.stormy, rainy, or generally unpleasant weather.
adj.pertaining to weather conditions that are stormy, turbulent, or otherwise unfavourable for travel.
Simple“The ship stayed in the harbour because of the foul weather at sea.”
In context“Despite the foul weather forecast, the rescue team proceeded toward the summit to locate the stranded climbers.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.using rude, offensive, or socially unacceptable words.
adj.characterised by obscene, vulgar, or abusive language.
Simple“He was sent out of the classroom for using foul language.”
In context“The broadcast was interrupted after the interviewee began using foul language during the live segment.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.not following the rules or being dishonest.
adj.violating the established rules of a game or the standards of fair play.
Simple“The politician was accused of using foul means to win the election.”
In context“The referee ruled that the defender had used foul tactics to prevent the striker from reaching the ball.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make something dirty, especially with waste.
v.to contaminate or defile something with unclean matter.
Simple“Dogs are not allowed on the beach so they don't foul the sand.”
In context“Industrial runoff continued to foul the river, making the water toxic for the local fish population.”
Synonyms - 06 C1 Advanced
v.to block a pipe or get a rope tangled up.
v.to obstruct or clog a passage; in a nautical context, to become entangled or caught.
Simple“The anchor line became fouled on some rocks under the water.”
In context“The mechanic explained that carbon deposits had fouled the spark plugs, causing the engine to misfire during acceleration.”
- 07 B1 Intermediate
v.to commit an unfair act against another player in a game.
v.to commit an infraction against an opponent or the rules of play in a sporting contest.
Simple“The defender fouled the striker just outside the penalty area.”
In context“He was careful not to foul the shooter, knowing that any contact would result in two free throws for the opposing team.”
- 08 B1 Intermediate
n.an action in a game that is against the rules.
n.an instance of breaking the rules in a sport, often involving illegal physical contact.
Simple“The referee blew his whistle and called a foul on the blue team.”
In context“After committing his fifth personal foul, the star player was forced to leave the game for the remaining minutes.”
Synonyms
Usage foul play
Inherited from Middle English foul, from Old English fūl (“foul, dirty, unclean, impure, vile, corrupt, rotten, stinking, guilty”), from Proto-West Germanic fūl, from Proto-Germanic fūlaz (“foul, rotten”), from Proto-Indo-European *puH- (“to rot”). Cognate with Dutch vuil (“foul, dirty, filthy, obscene, lewd”), German faul (“foul, rotten, putrid, lazy”), German Low German fuul (“foul, rotten, putrid”), Faroese fúlur (“foul”), Icelandic fúll (“foul, rotten, sullen”), Danish ful (“nasty, ugly”), Norwegian Bokmål ful (“clever, sly”), and Swedish ful (“ugly, dirty, bad”), and through Indo-European, with Albanian fëlliq (“to make dirty”), Latin puter (“rotten”). More at putrid. Ancient Greek φαῦλος (phaûlos, “bad”) is a false cognate inasmuch as it is not from the same etymon, instead being cognate to few.
Inherited from Middle English foulen, fulen, from Old English fūlian (“to become foul; rot; decay”), from Proto-West Germanic fūlēn, from Proto-Germanic fūlāną (“to rot; decay”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.