Synonyms for foul
- adjective
- verb
Most common
disgusting unclean offensive nasty unsportsmanlike unsporting
Synonyms by meaning
Adjective
1. Disgusting — detestable, unpleasant, loathsome
disgusting, noisome formal, unclean, offensive, nasty, filthy, rotten, malodorous, fetid, obscene, loathsome, unfair, wicked, bad, putrid, shameful, yucky informal, odious, polluted, vile, soiled, stinking
2. Unsportsmanlike
Verb
2. Choke — to obstruct, block, or otherwise interfere with (something), for example by clogging (a drain, gun barrel…
Definitions
- adj. 1
Detestable, unpleasant, loathsome.
He has a foul set of friends.
- adj. 2
Covered with, or containing unclean matter; dirty.
A well is foul with polluted water.
- v. 1
To make dirty.
to foul the face or hands with mire
- v. 2
To besmirch.
He's fouled his reputation.
Related words
Forms
- Past participle
- fouled
e.g. fouled → defiled, soiled, contaminated, befouled…
Example sentences
- offensive The US staged a land offensive on Iraq from Kuwait.
- disgusting What's the most disgusting food you've ever eaten?
- nasty The child had a nasty cough because he had a cold.
- unclean What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| foul | rising | |
| offensive | steady | |
| disgusting | rising | |
| nasty | rising | |
| unclean | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- bad1
- 4 letters
- rank1, soil1, plug1, vile1, clog1
- 5 letters
- wrong1, dirty2, nasty2, stain1, choke1, muddy2, sully2, yucky2, fetid2
- 6 letters
- unfair2, wicked2, filthy2, rotten2, stormy2, cloudy2, tangle2, soiled1, odious3, putrid2, defile, befoul
- 7 letters
- obscene2, tangled2, unclean2, pollute2, noisome
- 8 letters
- cheating2, disgrace2, shameful2, polluted3, stinking2
- 9 letters
- offensive3, loathsome2
- 10 letters
- disgusting3, unsporting, malodorous
- 11 letters
- contaminate4
- 15 letters
- unsportsmanlike4
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (dirty2 = 2 syllables).