Afoul

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /əˈfaʊl/

Definitions

1. Caught in conflict or entanglement with something, or in violation of a rule or law
2. In a state of conflict or entanglement with another entity, or being in violation of established regulations or norms
3. Engaged in a dispute or obstruction against something, or breaching a specific guideline or rule of conduct

Etymology: "Afoul" is one of those words that survives mostly in fixed phrases, such as "run afoul of the law," and it is built in the plainest way imaginable: the prefix "a-" attached to "foul." The "a-" is an old English prefix meaning roughly "on" or "in," as in "ashore" or "aboard," so the word literally describes something placed into the foul. The "foul" half is an ordinary word that has long meant dirty, tangled, or obstructed, which is why "afoul" carries its sense of getting caught up or colliding with something. The phrase has a particular nautical flavour. A ship that collides with another, or that gets its rigging snarled in a rope or anchor line, is said to be "afoul" of that object, and the sense of entanglement was extended from ships to people who came into conflict with the rules or with another party. The adverb has therefore kept its original picture of tangling and collision while losing the concrete setting of the sea.

Synonyms: entangled, involved, mired, caught, stuck

Antonyms: free, untangled, unfettered, clear, liberated