foil
gb/fˈɔɪl/ us/fˈɔɪl/
A2
English
~ 8700
alufólia, meghiúsít, leszavaz, megakadályoz, ellenpont, tőr, fémfólia
NOUN
A2
1
alufólia
A2
Usage pattern:
[someone] wraps [something] in foil
She covered the baking dish with foil before putting it in the oven.
Alufóliával lefedte a sütőedényt, mielőtt betette a sütőbe.
Wrap the leftover pizza in foil and put it in the fridge.
A maradék pizzát csomagold alufóliába, és tedd be a hűtőbe.
The chocolate bars were wrapped in shiny foil.
He shaped a small tray out of foil to catch the drips.
Make a foil packet for the vegetables and place it on the grill.
Learner examples
Please wrap the sandwiches in foil.
Kérlek, csomagold a szendvicseket alufóliába.
We covered the chicken with foil so it would not burn.
Alufóliával lefedtük a csirkét, hogy ne égjen meg.
The potatoes were cooked in foil on the fire.
He threw the used foil in the trash.
She bought a big roll of aluminum foil.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think "foil" always means "aluminum foil". In fact, it can be any very thin metal sheet, but in everyday English, people usually mean aluminum foil used in the kitchen.
Meaning
very thin sheet of metal
Collocations
aluminum foil
|tin foil
|foil wrapper
|foil packet
|cover with foil
|wrap in foil
Synonyms
aluminum foil (More specific to the common kitchen product made of aluminum.)
Antonyms
plastic wrap (A common alternative material for wrapping food, not made of metal.)
Themes
cooking
|home
|materials
|daily_life
|food_drink
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very thin sheet of metal, usually aluminum, used to wrap or cover food or other things.
A very thin, flexible sheet of metal, especially aluminum, used for wrapping, covering, or protecting things.
VERB
B2
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] foils [someone's] [plan/attempt/plot]
Police foiled the robbery just minutes before it was due to start.
Hackers were foiled by the company’s new security system.
The quick response of firefighters foiled the spread of the blaze.
Their attempt to cheat on the exam was foiled by strict supervision.
Strong winds foiled their plans to climb the mountain that day.
Learner examples
The police foiled the bank robbery.
Bad weather foiled our travel plans.
Guards foiled the prisoners’ escape attempt.
The alarm system foiled the thief.
Security checks foiled the terrorist plot.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "foil" with "spoil". "Foil" is used when you actively stop a plan or attempt (often by another person), while "spoil" is used when something becomes ruined or less enjoyable, often by accident.
Meaning
to prevent something from succeeding
Collocations
foil a plan
|foil an attempt
|foil a plot
|foil a robbery
|foil an attack
|foil the enemy
Synonyms
thwart (Slightly more formal and literary; often used in similar contexts of blocking plans.)
Antonyms
enable (To make something possible or easier, the opposite of stopping it.)
Themes
conflict
|security
|crime
|core_vocabulary
|business
|work
Definition
To stop a plan or attempt from working or being successful.
To prevent a plan, attempt, or person from succeeding; to stop something from happening as intended.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
3
ellenpont
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is a foil to [someone/something]
The quiet, thoughtful sister is the perfect foil to her loud, impulsive brother.
A csendes, megfontolt lánytestvér tökéletes ellenpontja hangos, lobbanékony fiútestvérének.
In the movie, the funny sidekick serves as a foil to the serious hero.
A filmben a vicces segítőtárs a komoly hős ellenpontjaként szolgál.
His relaxed style was an effective foil to her intense energy during the debate.
The modern glass building acts as a striking foil to the old stone church beside it.
Her pessimism provided a dark foil to his constant optimism.
Learner examples
The shy boy is a foil to his very confident friend.
A félénk fiú nagyon magabiztos barátjának az ellenpontja.
In the story, the bad character is a foil to the good one.
A történetben a rossz szereplő a jó szereplő ellenpontja.
Her simple black dress was a foil to his bright, colorful suit.
The calm teacher is a foil to the noisy students.
The small, old house is a foil to the big, new buildings around it.
Common mistake:
Learners may think "foil" here has the same meaning as the metal. In this sense, it is a literary noun meaning a contrasting person or thing, often used in talking about stories, films, or descriptions of people.
Meaning
contrasting person or thing
Collocations
a perfect foil
|comic foil
|provide a foil
|serve as a foil
|foil to the hero
|foil for his seriousness
Synonyms
counterpart (Focuses on a corresponding role rather than strong contrast; less about highlighting qualities.)
Antonyms
twin (Suggests someone very similar, not contrasting, so it does not highlight differences.)
Themes
literature
|film
|description
|arts_entertainment
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person or thing that is very different from another and makes the other’s qualities easier to see.
A person or thing that shows or emphasizes the qualities of another person or thing by being very different from them.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
4
tőr
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone] fights with a foil
She won the national championship in women’s foil.
Megnyerte az országos bajnokságot női tőrben.
He prefers the foil to the épée because of its speed.
Gyorsasága miatt jobban szereti a tőrt, mint a párbajtőrt.
The coach told the students to check their foils before the match.
A standard fencing set includes a mask, a foil, and protective clothing.
He learned basic attacks and parries with a foil at his university club.
Learner examples
He started a fencing class and bought a foil.
Beiratkozott egy vívótanfolyamra, és vett egy tőrt.
She hit her partner with the tip of the foil.
A tőr hegyével találta el a partnerét.
The foil is light and easy to move.
They keep their foils in a long bag.
In this fencing club, most people use the foil, not the sabre.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the fencing "foil" with a real sharp sword. A foil has a blunt tip and is designed for safe practice and sport, not for cutting.
Meaning
thin-bladed fencing sword
Collocations
fencing foil
|foil fencing
|practice with a foil
|foil blade
|foil champion
|sabre and foil
Synonyms
practice sword (A general term; not specific to the sport of fencing or to the exact shape of a foil.)
Antonyms
sabre (A different type of fencing weapon with different rules; contrasted within the same sport.)
Themes
sports
|weapons
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A light, thin sword with a soft tip that people use in the sport of fencing.
A light sword with a thin, flexible blade and a blunt tip, used as a weapon in the sport of fencing.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
5
fémfólia
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] backs [something] with foil
The jeweler used gold foil behind the stone to enhance its color.
Az ékszerész aranyfóliát tett a kő mögé, hogy kiemelje a színét.
The card featured silver foil lettering on the front.
A lap elején ezüstfóliás felirat volt.
Copper foil was applied to the glass edges before soldering them.
The label has a shiny holographic foil to prevent counterfeiting.
They added a thin foil backing to strengthen the fragile material.
Learner examples
The ring has gold foil under the stone.
A gyűrűben aranyfólia van a kő alatt.
The sign uses silver foil letters.
A táblán ezüstfóliás betűk vannak.
He put foil behind the glass to make it shine.
The company uses special foil on its labels.
She bought paper with red foil hearts on it.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense exists outside kitchen use; here "foil" refers more broadly to thin decorative or functional metal sheets in products, not just to wrap food.
Meaning
thin bright backing sheet
Collocations
gold foil
|silver foil
|copper foil
|foil backing
|foil stamping
|foil lettering
Synonyms
laminate (Refers more generally to layers of materials; not limited to very thin metal sheets.)
Antonyms
solid backing (A thick, non-thin backing material, not a very thin sheet like foil.)
Themes
materials
|art
|manufacturing
|arts_entertainment
|technology
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A thin sheet of shiny material placed behind something to make it look brighter or stronger.
A very thin sheet of metal or metal-like material used as a backing to give brightness, color, or support in items such as jewelry, glass, or packaging.
Grammar
Dictionary form
foil
IPA
GB/fˈɔɪl/
US/fˈɔɪl/
Syllables & stress
foil (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (foil)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: foil
- Plural: foil, foils
Verb
- Base: foil
- 3rd Person Singular: foils
- Present Participle: foiling
- Past: foiled
Word family
Forms
foils
noun
foiling
verb
foiled
verb
Related words
tinfoil
noun
Expressions
foil a plot
1/fˈɔɪl ə plˈɑt/
fixed phrase
stop a harmful plot
To prevent a secret and usually bad plan from happening.
Examples
- Authorities say they foiled a plot to attack the embassy.
- The hero foils a plot to overthrow the king in the final act.
foil an attempt
1/fˈɔɪl ən ətˈɛmpt/
fixed phrase
prevent an attempt from succeeding
To stop someone’s attempt to do something, especially something bad or secret.
Examples
- Police foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs through the airport.
- New security measures foiled an attempt to hack the company’s servers.
foil someone's plans
1/fˈɔɪl sˈʌmwˌʌnz plˈænz/
fixed phrase
stop someone's plans from working
To prevent a person’s plans from working or being successful.
Examples
- Heavy snow foiled our plans to drive to the coast.
- The manager foiled his plans to leave early by calling a last-minute meeting.
serve as a foil
1/sˈɚv ˈæz ə fˈɔɪl/
fixed phrase
literary
act as a contrast to someone
To be very different from another person or thing in a way that makes that other person or thing’s qualities easier to see.
Examples
- Her calm manner serves as a foil to his nervous energy.
- The dark, simple stage design serves as a foil for the colorful costumes.