Synonyms

foolishness

American

[foo-lish-nis] / ˈfu lɪʃ nɪs /

noun

lack of wisdom or good judgment; foolish quality.

Oh, the foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness!
foolish talk, ideas, or behavior.

How could someone with such a clever mind as yourself talk such foolishness?
a foolish act, error, habit, etc..

Shakespeare, who looks at all men as if from Mount Olympus, notes their foibles and foolishnesses, and yet smiles on them all.

Other Word Forms

overfoolishness noun
unfoolishness noun

Etymology

Origin of foolishness

foolish + -ness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Was it a calculated risk or stubborn foolishness?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

Mr. Clooney has never had a better role, and he burrows deeply into it with a self-interrogating combination of narcissism, foolishness, bravado and charisma.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

Diomande's act of foolishness just put the tin hat on it.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

Part of it is working through lifelong, longstanding feelings of “I’m a fool and my foolishness is going to make people incredibly angry with me.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2025

I thought I would never be done with scolding myself for my foolishness, but the next day Raji returned.

From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023