foul

(foul)

adjective foul·er, foul·est

1. Offensive to the senses; revolting.
2. Having an offensive odor; smelly.
3. Rotten or putrid: foul meat.
4. a. Full of dirt or mud; dirty. See Synonyms at dirty.
   b. Full of impurities; polluted: foul air.
5. Morally detestable; wicked: foul deeds.
6. Of a vulgar or obscene nature: foul language.
7. Very disagreeable or displeasing; horrid: a foul movie.
8. Bad or unfavorable: in fair weather or foul.
9. Violating accepted standards or rules; dishonorable: used foul means to gain power.
10. 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.
11. Entangled or twisted: a foul anchor.
12. Clogged or obstructed; blocked: a foul ventilator shaft.
13. Archaic Ugly; unattractive.

noun

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.

adverb verb fouled, foul·ing, fouls verb, transitive

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. Nautical 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.

verb, intransitive

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.

Phrasal Verbs: 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.

Related Forms:

• foulˈly adverb

• foulˈness noun