foully
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foul
(foul)adj. foul·er, foul·est
1.
a. Offensive to the senses; revolting: "a foul little creature with greedy eyes and slobbering mouth" (J.R.R. Tolkien).
b. Having a bad odor or taste: foul breath; food that tasted foul.
c. Rotten or putrid: foul meat.
2.
a. Containing dirt, impurities, or other foreign matter; foul water.
b. Clogged or bestrewn with unwanted material: The bay is foul with old sunken vessels.
c. Overgrown or encrusted with weeds, barnacles, or other organisms. Used of a ship's bottom.
d. Entangled or enwrapped: a foul anchor.
3.
a. Morally detestable; wicked: foul deeds.
b. Vulgar or obscene: foul language.
c. Violating accepted standards or rules; dishonorable: used foul means to gain power.
4.
a. Very disagreeable or displeasing; horrid: a foul movie.
b. Inclement or unfavorable: in fair weather or foul.
c. Irritable or upset: in a foul mood.
5.
a. Sports Contrary to the rules of a game or sport: a foul boxing punch.
b. Baseball Outside the foul lines: a foul fly ball.
6. Marked with editorial changes or corrections: foul copy.
7. Archaic Ugly; unattractive.
n.
1. Abbr. F
a. Sports An infraction or a violation of the rules of play.
b. Baseball A foul ball.
2. An entanglement or a collision.
3. An instance of clogging or obstructing.
4. A foul copy of a document.
adv.
In a foul manner.
v. fouled, foul·ing, fouls
v.tr.
1. To make dirty or foul; pollute. See Synonyms at contaminate.
2. To bring into dishonor; besmirch.
3. To clog or obstruct.
4. To entangle or catch (a rope, for example).
5. To encrust (a ship's hull) with foreign matter, such as barnacles.
6.
a. Sports To commit a foul against.
b. Baseball To hit (a ball) outside the foul lines.
v.intr.
Phrasal Verbs: 1. To become foul.
2.
a. Sports To commit a foul.
b. Baseball To hit a ball outside the foul lines: fouled twice and then struck out; fouled out to the catcher.
3. To become entangled or twisted: The anchor line fouled on a rock.
4. To become clogged or obstructed.
foul out
Sports To be put out of a game for exceeding the number of permissible fouls.
foul up
To blunder or cause to blunder because of mistakes or poor judgment.
foul′ly adv.
foul′ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Adv. | 1. | foully - in an unfair and insulting manner; "this internationally known writer was foully condemned by the Muslim fundamentalists" |
| 2. | foully - in a wicked and shameful manner; "two policemen were foully murdered" |
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