Standard Lemma guide

foray

noun · verb · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈfɒɹ.eɪ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈfɔɹ.eɪ/
  • New-York-City, Philadelphia: /ˈfɑɹ.eɪ/
  • Australian: /ˈfɔɹ.æɪ/
  • rhymes with -ɒɹeɪ
  • CMU ARPABET: F AO1 R EY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A sudden or irregular incursion in border warfare; hence, any irregular incursion for war or spoils; a raid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A brief excursion or attempt, especially outside one's accustomed sphere.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To participate in a foray.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To do or attempt something outside one's typical area of expertise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To scour an area for goods as part of a foray.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

an initial attempt (especially outside your usual areas of competence)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • scientists' forays into politics

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: attempt, effort, endeavor, endeavour, try

7

noun

Meaning 7

a sudden short attack

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: raid, maraud

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: penetration, incursion

Narrower terms: air raid, air attack, swoop

8

verb

Meaning 8

briefly enter enemy territory

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: penetrate, perforate

9

verb

Meaning 9

steal goods; take as spoils

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • During the earthquake people looted the stores that were deserted by their owners

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: plunder, despoil, loot, reave, strip, rifle, ransack, pillage

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: take

Narrower terms: deplume, displume

History

Etymology

From Middle English forrayen (“to pillage”), a back-formation of forrayour, forreour, forrier (“raider, pillager”), from Old French forrier, fourrier, a derivative of fuerre (“provender, fodder, straw”), from Frankish *fōdar (“fodder, sheath”), from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą (“fodder, feed, sheath”), from Proto-Indo-European *patrom (“fodder”), *pat- (“to feed”), *pāy- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Cognate with Old High German fuotar (German Futter (“fodder, feed”)), Old English fōdor, fōþer (“food, fodder, covering, case, basket”), Dutch voeder (“forage, food, feed”), Danish foder (“fodder, feed”), Icelandic fóður (“fodder, sheath”). More at fodder, food, forage.

Across languages

Translations

69 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: набег (nabeg) — incursion
  • Catalan: incursió — incursion
  • Czech: výpad — incursion
  • Czech: nájezd — incursion
  • Czech: útok — incursion
  • Dutch: onverwachte aanval — incursion
  • Dutch: raid — incursion
  • Dutch: verrassingsaanval — incursion
  • Estonian: põige — incursion
  • Finnish: ryöstöretki — incursion
  • Finnish: hyökkäys — incursion
  • French: incursion — incursion
  • German: plötzlicher Überfall — incursion
  • German: überraschender Überfall — incursion
  • Ido: inkurso — incursion
  • Irish: ruathar — incursion
  • Italian: incursione — incursion
  • Italian: scorrazzata — incursion
  • Italian: scorreria — incursion
  • Italian: irruzione — incursion
  • Macedonian: у́пад (úpad) — incursion
  • Māori: kanohi kitea — incursion
  • Māori: tukinga — incursion
  • Māori: torohē — incursion
  • Polish: najazd — incursion
  • Polish: napad — incursion
  • Polish: wypad — incursion
  • Portuguese: incursão — incursion
  • Portuguese: investida — incursion
  • Portuguese: aposta — incursion
  • Romanian: incursiune — incursion
  • Romanian: raid — incursion
  • Russian: набе́г (nabég) — incursion
  • Russian: нападе́ние (napadénije) — incursion
  • Spanish: incursión — incursion
  • Swedish: plundringståg — incursion
  • Swedish: räd — incursion
  • Ottoman Turkish: صویغون (soygun) — incursion
  • Ottoman Turkish: تاراج (tarac) — incursion
  • Ottoman Turkish: چاپول (çapul) — incursion
  • Czech: průnik — brief excursion or attempt
  • Estonian: kõrvalepõige — brief excursion or attempt
  • Estonian: haak — brief excursion or attempt
  • Finnish: yritys — brief excursion or attempt
  • Finnish: kokeilu — brief excursion or attempt
  • German: kurzer Ausfall — brief excursion or attempt
  • German: Streifzug — brief excursion or attempt
  • Russian: вы́лазка (výlazka) — brief excursion or attempt
  • Russian: попы́тка (popýtka) — brief excursion or attempt
  • Bulgarian: ограбвам (ograbvam) — To pillage; to ravage
  • Bulgarian: плячкосвам (pljačkosvam) — To pillage; to ravage
  • Catalan: pillar — To pillage; to ravage
  • Czech: vydrancovat — To pillage; to ravage
  • Czech: drancovat — To pillage; to ravage
  • Czech: vyrabovat — To pillage; to ravage
  • Czech: rabovat — To pillage; to ravage
  • Czech: zpustošit — To pillage; to ravage
  • Czech: pustošit — To pillage; to ravage
  • Finnish: ryöstää — To pillage; to ravage
  • Finnish: hävittää — To pillage; to ravage
  • French: fourrager — To pillage; to ravage
  • Italian: scorrazzare — To pillage; to ravage
  • Italian: irrompere — To pillage; to ravage
  • Italian: razziare — To pillage; to ravage
  • Māori: pāhua — To pillage; to ravage
  • Māori: pāhuahua — To pillage; to ravage
  • Māori: tunutunu makai — To pillage; to ravage
  • Māori: tunutunu mākaikai — To pillage; to ravage
  • Welsh: fforio — To pillage; to ravage