foolishness
Americannoun
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lack of wisdom or good judgment; foolish quality.
Oh, the foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness!
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foolish talk, ideas, or behavior.
How could someone with such a clever mind as yourself talk such foolishness?
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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
Etymology
Origin of foolishness
Explanation
Foolishness is nonsense or stupidity; it's acting in a way that is silly or irrational. Throwing a temper tantrum because the lunch line is moving slowly is pure foolishness — your outburst won't make the line move any faster. When your actions show a lack of good sense or solid judgement, you're betraying your foolishness. Impulsively jumping off the garage roof into a pile of leaves is evidence of your foolishness. We can trace this word's origin back to fool and the Old French fol, "idiot," and also "blacksmith's bellows," from a root meaning "blow or swell."
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.
Foolishness, and the deflating sensation that a culture that once encouraged sublime beauty now only permits dopey jokes, is Mr. Cattelan’s stock in trade.
From New York Times • Dec. 8, 2019
After the war, to our mother’s dismay, my sister and I started referring to the Highway of Brotherhood and Unity as the Highway of Youth and Foolishness.
From The New Yorker • Jun. 5, 2019
Lucinda Williams, "Foolishness" Lucinda is always simple and cutting with lyrics and that’s on full display here as she talks about shedding all the negative and unnecessary things holding one back.
From Salon • Nov. 6, 2018
Foolishness is the price of genius in these systems.
From Forbes • Apr. 30, 2015
We expect to prevail through the Foolishness of Preaching.
From The Kingdom of God Is Within You by Garnett, Constance
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
