Foul
/faʊl/
adjectivenounverbB2
Definition
Foul describes something that is very unpleasant, dirty, or wrong. It can be a bad smell, bad taste, or bad behavior. In sports, a foul is an action that breaks the rules. It can also be a noun meaning the bad action itself or a verb meaning to make something dirty or break rules.
Was this helpful?
⚡ See It in Action
Very unpleasant, dirty, or bad smell/taste/condition
- •The kitchen had a foul smell after the food spoiled.
- •He made a foul face after tasting the bitter medicine.
- •The water was foul and unsafe to drink.
Breaking rules in sports or unfair behavior
- •The player committed a foul by pushing his opponent.
- •The referee stopped the game because of a foul.
- •He was given a foul for touching the ball with his hand.
Verb: to make dirty or break rules
- •The factory fouled the river by dumping waste into it.
- •The player fouled another during the match.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "foul" like "bad," but stronger and often connected to something dirty or wrong
- ✓Picture a garbage bin that smells very bad and makes you want to move away quickly
- ✓It's the feeling when you taste spoiled food or smell something rotten, making you feel uncomfortable
- ✓Sounds like "foul" → imagine a foul ball in baseball, which is a ball hit outside the rules area
- ✓Think of a soccer player who pushes another player unfairly and the referee calls a "foul"
- ✓NOT like "bad" (which can be general), "foul" usually means something dirty, unfair, or against rules
- ✓NOT like "clean" (good, pure), "foul" is the opposite—dirty or unpleasant
- ✓NOT like "error" (a simple mistake), "foul" often involves breaking rules on purpose or being unfair
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Dirty: not clean or pure (Use when talking about physical dirt or mess)
- •Unpleasant: causing discomfort or dislike (Use when describing smells, tastes, or feelings)
- •Illegal: against the rules or law (Use when focusing on breaking rules or laws)
- •Offensive: causing hurt or upset (Use when describing behavior or language that hurts others)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix; root word "foul")
- •Etymology: From Old English "fūl," meaning dirty or rotten
- •Historical development: Used for many centuries to describe bad smells and bad behavior; in sports, used to mean breaking rules since the 16th century
- •Modern usage: Commonly used to describe bad smells, tastes, unfair sports actions, and bad behavior; also used as a verb meaning to make dirty or break rules
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can something be foul to one person but not to another? How do personal feelings affect what we call foul?
•How do rules help us decide what is a foul action in sports or daily life?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The kitchen smelled foul because the food had ___ for days.
2.When a player commits a foul, the referee usually ___ the game to stop it.
3.He made a foul face after tasting the medicine because it was very ___.
4.Factories that foul the river cause ___ to the environment.
5.Unlike a simple mistake, a foul often means breaking the ___ on purpose.
6.The water was so foul that no one wanted to ___ it.
7.In soccer, a foul often happens when a player ___ the rules by pushing another player.