befool

[ bih-fool ]

verb (used with object)

to fool; deceive; dupe.
Obsolete. to treat as a fool; call (someone) a fool.

Origin of befool

First recorded in 1350–1400, befool is from the Middle English word befolen.See be-, fool¹

Other words for befool

1	bamboozle, delude, mislead; cheat, swindle

See synonyms for befool on Thesaurus.com

Words Nearby befool

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use befool in a sentence

Ask questions without seeming to ask them, and ask them in such a way as to befool those you ask.
The Coming of the King | James Hocking
He thought to befool me with his ill-thought-out plans—me who learnt wisdom before he was born.
The Coming of the King | James Hocking
They can befool one who is very wise, and often they have set the simple in the paths of prudence.
The Children's Hour, Volume 3 (of 10) | Various
Didst thou not send Skirnir to Gymer's dwelling to befool Gymer's flighty daughter?
The Children of Odin | Padraic Colum
Or was he a very clever scoundrel, with irony lurking in his soft voice, and a chuckle that he could so befool me?
Astounding Stories of Super-Science, March 1930 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for befool

befool

/ (bɪˈfuːl) /

verb

(tr) to make a fool of

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

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