afoul

(əˈfaʊl) adv, adj (postpositive) 1. (usually foll by of) in or into a state of difficulty, confusion, or conflict (with)2. (Nautical Terms) (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.

a•foul

(əˈfaʊl)

adv., adj. in a state of collision or entanglement: a ship with its shrouds afoul. Idioms: run or come or fall afoul of, a. to become entangled with: The boat ran afoul of the seaweed. b. to come into conflict with. [1800–10, Amer.]

Thesaurus

Adj.

afoul - especially of a ship's lines etc; "with its sails afoul"; "a foul anchor"fouled, foultangled - in a confused mass; "pushed back her tangled hair"; "the tangled ropes"

Translations

afoul

fall (a)foul

To become disliked or to come in conflict with due to one's actions, often resulting in further trouble or conflict. Used in the phrase "fall (a)foul of (someone or something)." Since you're new here, be careful not to fall afoul of Bill—he'll keep you off of every case if he's mad at you. I fell foul of the committee, and now, I'm not sure how to improve my reputation.See also: fall

run afoul of (someone or something)

To be in severe disagreement, trouble, or difficulty with someone or something; to be at odds with someone or something, especially due to disobeying rules or laws. Always look into the laws of any place you visit, or you may end up unwittingly running afoul of the local police. Ms. Banks has run afoul of this university for the last time. She is no longer welcome here!See also: afoul, of, run

fall (a)foul of (someone or something)

To become disliked or to come in conflict with someone or something due to one's actions, often resulting in further trouble or conflict. Since you're new here, be careful not to fall afoul of Bill—he'll keep you off of every case if he's mad at you. I fell foul of the committee, and now I'm not sure how to improve my reputation. Ted fell afoul of the law when he was still a kid, and he's been in and out of jail ever since.See also: fall, of

run afoul of

Also, run foul of. Come into conflict with, as in If you keep parking illegally you'll run afoul of the police. This expression originated in the late 1600s, when it was applied to a vessel colliding or becoming entangled with another vessel, but at the same time it was transferred to non-nautical usage. Both senses remain current. See also: afoul, of, run

afoul

afoul

a•foul

afoul

fall (a)foul

run afoul of (someone or something)

fall (a)foul of (someone or something)

run afoul of

afoul

Synonyms for afoul

adj especially of a ship's lines etc

Synonyms

Related Words