frequently_asked_questions_files/Oxford Thesaurus.pdf

denunciatory or denunciative, derisory, derisive, scornful,
belittling, fulminous, objurgatory or objurgative, vituperative,
invective: Keep your foul tongue to yourself. 7 dishonest,
unfair, unjust, unsportsmanlike, dishonourable, fraudulent,
underhand(ed), double-dealing, two-faced, corrupt, venal, dirty,
treacherous, perfidious, traitorous, unscrupulous, Colloq
crooked, shady, Slang chiefly Brit bent: Thrupp will get his
way by fair means or foul. 8 nasty, dangerous, rough,
disagreeable, unfavourable, sloppy, stormy, adverse; windy,
blustery; snowy, sleety, wet, rainy: We ran into a spot of foul
weather at Dover. 9 obstructed, blocked, choked, stopped (up),
plugged (up), clogged (up): The drain is foul with all that
rubbish. 10 tangled, entangled, caught, ensnared, enmeshed,
snarled: A foul anchor is a common nautical symbol. 11
illegal, prohibited, forbidden, interdicted, not fair; dirty:
In boxing a hit below the belt is a foul blow.
--v. 12 dirty, pollute, sully, befoul, defile, soil,
contaminate, adulterate, taint: Effluent from the factory was
fouling the river. 13 tangle, entangle, catch, snare, ensnare,
enmesh, snag, snarl, jam, twist: We can't hoist the mainsail
because the halyard is fouled. 14 disgrace, dishonour, sully,
taint, besmirch, defile, soil, stain, smear, tarnish, blacken,
denigrate, debase, degrade, abase, demean, disparage, defame,
derogate, asperse, devaluate, depreciate, vitiate, belittle,
discredit, bring or call into disrepute: That act of treachery
will foul the family name for generations. 15 obstruct, block,
choke, stop or plug or clog (up): Dead leaves fouled the
downpipe. 16 foul up. a See def. 13. b mismanage, mishandle,
botch, bungle, make a mess (of), mess up, spoil, ruin, Colloq
muff, Brit throw a spanner in(to) (the works), US throw a monkey
wrench into (the machinery); Slang muck up, goof (up), blow,
screw up, louse up, Chiefly Brit bugger (up), US and Canadian
snafu: Give him a chance and he's sure to foul up. She fouled
up my hi-fi.
--n. 17 violation, infringement, infraction, illegality: The
Rangers' forward has already been charged with two fouls.
--adv. 18 afoul, in conflict, in trouble, in violation:
Curshaw has fallen foul of the law again.
foul play n. treachery, chicanery, perfidy, perfidiousness, duplicity,