foolproof
Americanadjective
-
involving no risk or harm, even when tampered with.
-
never-failing.
a foolproof method.
adjective
-
proof against failure; infallible
a foolproof idea
-
(esp of machines) proof against human misuse, error, etc
Etymology
Origin of foolproof
Explanation
When something is bound to work out, you can call it foolproof. Your foolproof plan for having a great summer might involve spending lots of time at the beach. If your dog tends to wander and can also jump six feet in the air, a foolproof plan for keeping her in your yard might involve an eight foot fence. You can also use foolproof as a verb: "I'm going to foolproof the instructions for heating up your dinner, so that no one sets the stove on fire this time." Foolproof is an early twentieth century American English word that combines fool, or "silly person" and proof, "resistant."
Vocabulary lists containing foolproof
Game Changer
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Old Yeller
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The Bad Beginning
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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.
"This Italian-inspired baked chicken Parmesan will have your other half falling in love all over again," says Aysegul Sanford, food blogger and owner of Foolproof Living.
From Fox News • Feb. 9, 2022
Ultimately, they selected Don P. Hooper’s lively work of science fiction, “Got Me a Jet Pack,” and DaVaun Sanders’s plot-twisty time-traveling tale, “Kassius’s Foolproof Guide to Losing the Turkey Bowl.”
From Washington Post • Sep. 20, 2021
Rachael Ray Foolproof way to get clothing as a gift; experts solve holiday dilemmas; bite-sized holiday treats.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2019
Find more recipes like Foolproof Poached Chicken in “Sous Vide for Everybody .”
From Washington Times • Dec. 31, 2018
Foolproof dad-maneuver, except for the part where Abby forwarded all her landline calls to her cell.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
