foil

noun
UK: /fɔɪl/
US: /fɔɪl/

  1. A very thin sheet of metal.

    1. I wrapped the sandwich in foil to keep it fresh.
    2. The baker covered the cake with foil to prevent burning.

  2. Someone or something that makes another's good or bad qualities more noticeable.

    1. Her quiet personality was a perfect foil to his boisterous nature.
    2. The ornate decorations are a foil for the simplicity of the architecture.

  3. A long, thin sword used in the sport of fencing.

    1. The fencer expertly wielded his foil during the match.
    2. He trained rigorously with the foil to improve his fencing skills.

Synonyms

sheet thwart film prevent counterpart frustrate offset
foil verb

  1. To prevent someone from succeeding in something.

    1. The hero will foil the evil plan.
    2. The police foiled a bank robbery this morning.
foil transitive-verb

  1. To prevent the success of an effort, plan, etc.

    1. The unexpected rain foiled our plans for a picnic in the park.
    2. Her attempt to trick him was foiled by his keen sense of observation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "foil" in English means: A very thin sheet of metal., Someone or something that makes another's good or bad qualities more noticeable., A long, thin sword used in the sport of fencing..

The phonetic transcription of "foil" is /fɔɪl/ in British English and /fɔɪl/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "foil": sheet, thwart, film, prevent, counterpart, frustrate, offset.

Example usage of "foil": "I wrapped the sandwich in foil to keep it fresh.". More examples on the page.