- grossly offensive to the senses; disgustingly loathsome; noisome: a foul smell.
- containing or characterized by offensive or noisome matter: foul air; foul stagnant water.
- filthy or dirty, as places, receptacles, clothes, etc.
- muddy, as a road.
- clogged or obstructed with foreign matter: a foul gas jet.
- unfavorable or stormy: foul weather.
- contrary, violent, or unfavorable, as the wind.
- 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.
- 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 (opposed to clean).
- not fair; ugly or unattractive.
- disfigured.
- in a foul manner; vilely; unfairly.
- into foul territory; so as to be foul: It looked like a homer when he hit it, but it went foul.
- 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.
- foul ball.
- to make foul; defile; soil.
- 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.
- (of barnacles, seaweed, etc.) to cling to (a hull) so as to encumber.
- to hit (a pitched ball) foul (often followed by off or away): He fouled off two curves before being struck out on a fastball.
- to become foul.
- to come into collision, as two boats.
- to become entangled or clogged: The rope fouled.
- to make a foul play; give a foul blow.
- to hit a foul ball.
- foul out,
- to be put out by hitting a foul ball caught on the fly by a player on the opposing team.
- to be expelled from a game for having committed more fouls than is allowed.
- to cause confusion or disorder; bungle; spoil.
- fall foul / afoul of,
- to collide with, as ships.
- to come into conflict with; quarrel.
- to make an attack; assault.
- to dishonor one's own home, family, or the like.
- to come into collision or controversy with: to run foul of the press.
- 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
- not in accordance with accepted standards or established rules; unfair
- (esp of weather) unpleasant or adverse
- blocked or obstructed with dirt or foreign matter
- entangled or impeded
- (of the bottom of a vessel) covered with barnacles and other growth that slow forward motion
- unsatisfactory or uninteresting; bad
- ugly
- sport
- a violation of the rules
- (as modifier)
- something foul
- an entanglement or collision, esp in sailing or fishing
- to make or become dirty or polluted
- to become or cause to become entangled or snarled
- to disgrace or dishonour
- to become or cause to become clogged or choked
- (of underwater growth) to cling to (the bottom of a vessel) so as to slow its motion
- to commit a foul against (an opponent)
- to hit (a ball) in an illegal manner
- to infringe the rules
- (of an animal, especially a dog) to defecate on
- to collide with (a boat, etc)
- in a foul or unfair manner
- fall foul of
- to come into conflict with
- to come into collision with
