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Antonyms for foil
| Grammar : Noun, verb |
| Spell : foil |
| Phonetic Transcription : fɔɪl |
Definition of foil
Origin :- c.1300, foilen "to spoil a trace or scent by running over it," irregularly from Old French fouler "trample," from Vulgar Latin *fullare "to clean cloth" (by treading on it), from Latin fullo "one who cleans cloth, fuller," of unknown origin.
- Hence, "to overthrow, defeat" (1540s). Sense of "frustrate the efforts of" first recorded 1560s. Related: Foiled; foiling. Foiled again! as a cry of defeat and dismay is from at least 1847.
- noun contrast
- verb circumvent, nip in the bud
- As a foil to his austerity, therefore, she would be audaciously gay in his presence.
- Extract from : « The Spenders » by Harry Leon Wilson
- I ask, why is Tommy to be always the foil of Mr. Barlow to this extent?
- Extract from : « The Uncommercial Traveller » by Charles Dickens
- He then, replacing the button, laid the foil down, and resumed his seat and his discourse.
- Extract from : « David Elginbrod » by George MacDonald
- Our hero was alive to the emergency, and resolved to foil him.
- Extract from : « The Young Miner » by Horatio Alger, Jr.
- As one fences in the dark, instinctively, so she kept him a foil's length away.
- Extract from : « The Lure of the Mask » by Harold MacGrath
- Homer had not to wait for Beowulf to serve as a foil to his excellence.
- Extract from : « Epic and Romance » by W. P. Ker
- You mean to marry her to foil van Heerden, and after—to dissolve the marriage?
- Extract from : « The Green Rust » by Edgar Wallace
- It amuses her and doesn't hurt me; and, of course, I know I am meant to be her foil.
- Extract from : « Robert Elsmere » by Mrs. Humphry Ward
- Her part seemed only as a foil to the sombre splendour of his.
- Extract from : « The Lowest Rung » by Mary Cholmondeley
- I was but a waif—a foil—a thing for a coquette to play with!
- Extract from : « The Quadroon » by Mayne Reid
Synonyms for foil
- antithesis
- background
- baffle
- balk
- beat
- bilk
- bollix
- buffalo
- check
- checkmate
- complement
- counter
- counterblow
- crab
- cramp
- crimp
- curb
- dash
- defeat
- defense
- disappoint
- disconcert
- ditch
- dodge
- duck
- elude
- faze
- foul up
- frustrate
- get around
- give the run-around
- give the slip
- guard
- hang up
- hinder
- juke
- nullify
- outwit
- prevent
- rattle
- restrain
- run circles around
- run rings around
- setting
- shake
- shake off
- shuffle off
- skip
- stop
- stymie
- throw monkey wrench in
- thwart
- upset the apple cart
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019