foul
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- dirty, fetid, filthy, malodorous, nauseating, putrid, repulsive, squalid, stinking, unclean
- obscene, abusive, blue, coarse, indecent, lewd, profane, scurrilous, vulgar
- offensive, abhorrent, despicable, detestable, disgraceful, scandalous, shameful, wicked
- unfair, crooked, dishonest, fraudulent, shady (informal), underhand, unscrupulous
[verb]
Synonyms:
- pollute, besmirch, contaminate, defile, dirty, stain, sully, taint

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Antonyms: fair, undefiled
Related Words: fetid, malodorous, noisome, putrid, stinking, loathsome, offensive, repulsive, revolting, contaminate, defile, pollute, desecrate, profane

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English Thesaurus: horrible, disgusting/revolting, nasty, nauseating, foul, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. foul¹ /faʊl/ adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: ful]

1. SMELL/TASTE a foul smell or taste is very unpleasant Synonym : disgusting:
He woke up with a foul taste in his mouth.
a pile of foul-smelling garbage
He put down his mug of foul-tasting coffee.

2. in a foul mood/temper British English in a very bad temper and likely to get angry:
The argument with his mother left Putt in a foul mood.

3. AIR/WATER very dirty:
Refugees in the camps are short of food and at risk from foul water.
extractor fans to remove foul air from the tunnel

4. foul language rude and offensive words:
She claimed she had been subjected to abuse and foul language.

5. WEATHER especially British English foul weather is stormy and windy, with a lot of rain or snow:
Always carry foul weather gear when you go out walking.
—foully adverb
—foulness noun [uncountable]
⇒ by fair means or foul at fair¹(11), ⇒ fall foul of somebody/something at fall¹(15)

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. foul² verb

1.
a) [transitive] if a sports player fouls another player, they do something that is not allowed by the rules
b) [intransitive and transitive] to hit a ball outside the limit of the playing area in baseball

2. (also foul up) [transitive] formal to make something very dirty, especially with waste:
rivers and lakes fouled almost beyond recovery by pollutants
foul up phrasal verb informal

1. to do something wrong or spoil something by making mistakes ⇒ foul-up:
We can’t afford to foul up this time.
foul something ↔ up
Glen completely fouled up the seating arrangements.

2. foul something ↔ up to make something very dirty, especially with waste:
He lit a cigarette and started to foul up the air with stinging yellow smoke.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

III. foul³ noun [countable]

1. an action in a sport that is against the rules:
Wright was booked for a foul on the goalkeeper.

2. a hit in baseball which goes outside the limits of the playing area

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

foul
noun
ADJ. blatant, clear, deliberate, nasty
VERB + FOUL commit He committed a second clear foul and was sent off.
PREP. ~ on He was sent off for a blatant foul on Giggs.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

horrible very bad and unpleasant:
What’s that horrible smell?
This fish tastes horrible.
disgusting/revolting horrible, especially in a way that makes you feel slightly sick:
I had to take two spoons of some disgusting medicine.
The stench in the room was revolting.
nasty very unpleasant – often used about a taste that stays in your mouth:
Cheap wine sometimes leaves a nasty taste in your mouth.
the nasty smell of bad eggs
nauseating /ˈnɔːzieɪtɪŋ, -si- $ ˈnɒːzi-, -ʃi-/ horrible and making you feel that you are going to vomit – used especially about a smell:
the nauseating smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke
foul /faʊl/ horrible – used especially when there is decay or waste:
There was a foul smell coming from the water.
Whatever it was in that cup, it tasted foul.
horrible/terrible/awful/dreadful very bad and unpleasant:
For one horrible moment, I thought I was going to fall.
The refugees were living in dreadful conditions.
It must have been a terrible worry for them.
Thousands of people lost their jobs – it was awful.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲