folly

[ fol-ee ]
See synonyms for: follyfollies on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural fol·lies for 2-6.
  1. the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense.

  2. a foolish action, practice, idea, etc.; absurdity: the folly of performing without a rehearsal.

  1. a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure.

  2. Architecture. a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found especially in England in the 18th century.

  3. follies, a theatrical revue.

  4. Obsolete. wickedness; wantonness.

Origin of folly

1
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English folie, from Old French, derivative of fol, fou “foolish, mad”; equivalent to fool1 + -y3

Other words for folly

Other words from folly

  • su·per·fol·ly, noun, plural su·per·fol·lies.

Words Nearby folly

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How to use folly in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for folly

folly

/ (ˈfɒlɪ) /


nounplural -lies
  1. the state or quality of being foolish; stupidity; rashness

  2. a foolish action, mistake, idea, etc

  1. a building in the form of a castle, temple, etc, built to satisfy a fancy or conceit, often of an eccentric kind

  2. (plural) theatre an elaborately costumed revue

  3. archaic

    • evil; wickedness

    • lewdness; wantonness

Origin of folly

1
C13: from Old French folie madness, from fou mad; see fool 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012