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foul

/faʊl/
verb
  1. To make something dirty or unclean.
    • The oil spill fouled the entire coastline.
    • The factory's waste fouled the river.
    • Be careful not to foul the water with your muddy boots.
  2. To commit a violation of the rules in a sport or game.
    • The player was warned after he fouled twice in a row.
    • He fouled his opponent by grabbing his jersey.
    • The defender fouled the striker just outside the penalty area.
  3. To hit a baseball outside the fair territory lines.
    • She fouled off three pitches in a row.
    • The batter fouled the first pitch straight back.
    • He fouled the ball into the left-field stands.
  4. To become entangled or obstructed.
    • The fishing line fouled around the propeller.
    • The machine's gears fouled and stopped working.
    • The rope fouled on the anchor chain.
adjective
  1. Extremely unpleasant to the senses, especially because of being dirty, smelly, or tasting bad.
    • He took a sip of the milk and made a face because it tasted foul.
    • The air in the abandoned building was foul and stale.
    • The garbage left in the sun gave off a foul odor.
  2. Very bad or wicked; morally offensive.
    • She accused him of using foul language during the argument.
    • The company was guilty of foul business practices.
    • The dictator was known for his foul treatment of prisoners.
  3. Unfair or against the rules, especially in sports.
    • He received a yellow card for a foul tackle.
    • The referee called a foul play when the defender tripped the runner.
    • The player was ejected after a series of foul moves.
  4. Stormy or rough, used to describe weather.
    • The ship struggled through the foul sea.
    • The sailors prepared for foul weather as dark clouds gathered.
    • We canceled the picnic because of foul conditions.
Synonyms
dirtyunfair
Antonyms
cleanfair
noun
  1. An act that breaks the rules of a sport or game.
    • The basketball player committed his fifth foul and had to leave the game.
    • The umpire called a foul on the pitcher for an illegal motion.
    • In soccer, a foul can result in a free kick.
  2. In baseball, a batted ball that lands outside the fair territory lines.
    • He hit a foul that went into the stands.
    • The batter kept fouling off pitches until he got one he liked.
    • The umpire signaled that the ball was a foul.