folly

[ fol-ee ]

/ ˈfɒl i /

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noun, plural fol·lies for 2–6.

the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense.

a foolish action, practice, idea, etc.; absurdity: the folly of performing without a rehearsal.

a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure.

Architecture. a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found especially in England in the 18th century.

follies, a theatrical revue.

Obsolete. wickedness; wantonness.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

follower, followership, following, following bougie, followship, folly, folsom, folsom man, folsom point, folía, fomalhaut

Origin of folly

1175–1225; Middle English folie < Old French, derivative of fol, fou foolish, mad. See fool¹

SYNONYMS FOR folly

2 imprudence, rashness, mistake, foolishness, indiscretion, injudiciousness; madness, lunacy.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR folly ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formssu·per·fol·ly, noun, plural su·per·fol·lies.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for follies

Hate is such a strong word, but Alan Jacobs nails it with this rant about the follies of group productivity.
I Hate Extraverts|Justin Green|December 31, 2012|DAILY BEAST
No stranger to the follies of the criminal-justice system, Mitnick believes the feds are after the wrong guys.
The Godfather of Hacking|Brian Ries|August 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He talks to Shannon Donnelly about Off-Broadway talent and why Follies never made it to film.
A Broadway Great Reveals His Secrets|Shannon Donnelly|November 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST
If a man commit no follies he loses his wits through weariness.
The Romance of Leonardo da Vinci|Dmitry Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky

I believe, my dear friends, that I have given you a sufficient preventative against all these follies.
Superstition In All Ages (1732)|Jean Meslier
Witley Castle, his seat, is one of the show places of England, though financially embarrassed by the follies of the late Earl.
The Bacillus of Beauty|Harriet Stark
Were they not both the victims, in a sense, of the follies of centuries?
The Sins of the Father|Thomas Dixon
The "Monthly Review" sorrowed, like the "British," over the encouragement given to the follies of astrology.
Guy Mannering, or The Astrologer, Complete, Illustrated|Sir Walter Scott

British Dictionary definitions for follies

folly

/ (ˈfɒlɪ) /

noun plural -lies

the state or quality of being foolish; stupidity; rashness

a foolish action, mistake, idea, etc

a building in the form of a castle, temple, etc, built to satisfy a fancy or conceit, often of an eccentric kind

(plural) theatre an elaborately costumed revue

archaic

evil; wickedness
lewdness; wantonness

Word Origin for folly

C13: from Old French folie madness, from fou mad; see fool 1

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

Word Origin and History for follies (1 of 2)

follies

"revue with glamorous female performers," 1908, from French folies (mid-19c.), from folie (see folly), probably in its sense of "extravagance" (cf. extravaganza).

Word Origin and History for follies (1 of 2)

folly

early 13c., "mental weakness; unwise conduct" (in Middle English including wickedness, lewdness, madness), from Old French folie (12c.) "folly, madness, stupidity," from fol (see fool (n.)). Sense of "costly structure considered to have shown folly in the builder" is attested from 1650s. Used since Middle English of place names, especially country estates, as a form of Old French folie in its meaning "delight." Meaning "glamorous theatrical revue with lots of pretty girls" is from 1880, from French.