befool

American

[bih-fool] / bɪˈful /

verb (used with object)

to fool; deceive; dupe.

Synonyms:

cheat, mislead, delude, bamboozle, swindle
Obsolete. to treat as a fool; call (someone) a fool.

befool British

/ 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

Etymology

Origin of befool

First recorded in 1350–1400, befool is from the Middle English word befolen. See be-, fool ¹

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