afoul

[ uh-foul ]
See synonyms for afoul on Thesaurus.com
adverb, adjective
  1. in a state of collision or entanglement: a ship with its shrouds afoul.

Idioms about afoul

  1. run / come / fall afoul of,

    • to become entangled with: The boat ran afoul of the seaweed.

    • to come into conflict with: The business had fallen afoul of the new government regulations.

Origin of afoul

1
An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; a-1 + foul

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for afoul

afoul

/ (əˈfaʊl) /


adverb, adjective(postpositive)
  1. (usually foll by of) in or into a state of difficulty, confusion, or conflict (with)

  2. (often foll by of) in or into an entanglement or collision (with) (often in the phrase run afoul of): a yacht with its sails afoul; the boat ran afoul of a steamer

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012