Meanings
nounfoul play (uncountable)
- uncountableUnfair, unethical, or criminal behavior, especially of a malicious or violent nature.
'I think there's been foul play,' said Poole, hoarsely.
1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, “Remarkable Incident of Dr. Lanyon”, in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 571 more example
An autopsy, pending a toxicology report, would determine the cause of death, the Los Angeles county medical examiner said. Foul play was not suspected, said Cap Scot Williams, who leads the city’s police robbery homicide division that is investigating Perry’s death.
2023 October 30, Sian Cain, “Friends stars release statement after death of Matthew Perry: ‘We were more than just castmates’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN - uncountableAny violation of rules.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 犯規行為 /犯规行为, 違反規則 /违反规则
- 犯規行為 /犯规行为 (fànguī xíngwéi)unfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- 違反規則 /违反规则 (wéifǎn guīzé)violation of rules
Finnish vilunkipeli, vilppi
- vilunkipeliunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- vilppiviolation of rules
French mauvais coup, coup tordu
- mauvais coupunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- coup torduunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- acte de malfaisanceunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- fauteviolation of rules
- infractionviolation of rules
German Foulspiel, Foul Play
- Foulspielunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- Foul Playunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- Verletzung der Regelnviolation of rules
Hungarian bűncselekmény, erőszak
- bűncselekményunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- erőszakunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- idegenkezűségunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- szabálytalanságviolation of rules
- tisztességtelenségviolation of rules
- becstelenségviolation of rules
- csalásviolation of rules
Indonesian pelanggaran
- pelanggaranviolation of rules
Japanese ファウル, 不法行為
- ファウル (fauru)unfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- 不法行為 (fuhō kōi)unfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- 不正行為 (fusei kōi)violation of rules
Polish faul
- faulunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
Portuguese jogo sujo, infração
- jogo sujounfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- infraçãounfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- delitounfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- faltaunfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- transgressãoviolation of rules
- infraçãoviolation of rules
- delitoviolation of rules
- faltaviolation of rules
- ofensaviolation of rules
Russian нече́стная игра́, гря́зная игра́
- нече́стная игра́ (nečéstnaja igrá)unfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- гря́зная игра́ (grjáznaja igrá)unfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- гру́бая игра́ (grúbaja igrá)unfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- игра́ не по пра́вилам (igrá ne po právilam)unfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- наруше́ние пра́вил (narušénije právil)violation of rules
Spanish juego sucio, juego sucio
- juego suciounfair, unethical, or criminal behavior
- juego sucioviolation of rules
Cite this entry
APA
foul play. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foul%20play
MLA
“foul play.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foul%20play. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “foul play,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/foul%20play.
Source: foul play on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.