fool

[ fool ]

/ ful /

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See synonyms for: fool / fooled / fooling / fools on Thesaurus.com

noun

a silly or stupid person; a person who lacks judgment or sense.

a professional jester, formerly kept by a person of royal or noble rank for amusement: the court fool.

a person who has been tricked or deceived into appearing or acting silly or stupid: to make a fool of someone.

an ardent enthusiast who cannot resist an opportunity to indulge an enthusiasm (usually preceded by a present participle): He's just a dancing fool.

a weak-minded or idiotic person.

verb (used with object)

to trick, deceive, or impose on: They tried to fool him.

verb (used without object)

to act like a fool; joke; play.

to jest; pretend; make believe: I was only fooling.

Verb Phrases

fool around,

to putter aimlessly; waste time: She fooled around all through school.
to philander or flirt.
to be sexually promiscuous, especially to engage in adultery.

fool away, to spend foolishly, as time or money; squander: to fool away the entire afternoon.

fool with, to handle or play with idly or carelessly: to be hurt while fooling with a loaded gun; to fool with someone's affections.

OTHER WORDS FOR fool

1 simpleton, dolt, dunce, blockhead, numbskull, ignoramus, dunderhead, ninny, nincompoop, booby, saphead, sap.

2 zany, clown.

6 delude, hoodwink, cheat, gull, hoax, cozen, dupe, gudgeon.

See synonyms for fool on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR fool

1 genius.

See antonyms for fool on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

false

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about fool

be nobody's fool, to be wise or shrewd.

Origin of fool

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English fol, fool, from Old French fol, from Latin follis “bellows, bag”; cf. follis

OTHER WORDS FROM fool

un·fooled, adjectiveun·fool·ing, adjectivewell-fooled, adjective

Words nearby fool

food truck, food vacuole, food vessel, food web, foofaraw, fool, fool around, fool away, foolery, foolfish, foolhardy

Other definitions for fool (2 of 2)

fool²

[ fool ]

/ ful /

noun British Cooking.

a dish made of fruit, scalded or stewed, crushed and mixed with cream or the like: gooseberry fool.

Origin of fool

First recorded in 1590–1600; probably special use of fool¹;cf. trifle (in the sense “a dessert consisting of custard and cake”

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

How to use fool in a sentence

He leaned over to me, whispering, “These Jedi mind tricks only work on weak-minded fools.”
How Often Does the Joker Have the Last Laugh?|Eugene Robinson|January 7, 2021|Ozy
To pretend you knew better when others didn’t, to pretend this was not your fault, to pretend you were a holy messenger and everyone else was a fool was his very good definition of a sin.
Remembering My Friend Barry Lopez|Bob Shacochis|January 5, 2021|Outside Online
As brokers made their bets, some making a fortune, some making fools of themselves, others making their criminal defense cases, Cline and millions of other health care workers just prayed there would be enough supplies tomorrow.
“Those of Us Who Don’t Die Are Going to Quit”: A Crush of Patients, Dwindling Supplies and the Nurse Who Lost Hope|by J. David McSwane|December 30, 2020|ProPublica
Bumping into a guy most known for “yappin’ fools,” I wasn’t gonna scare anybody looking like a bootleg Slick Rick, and on his newest cut, “Gotham,” Danzini isn’t letting anyone feel safe.
Trick Or Treat: An All Hallows’ Eve Playlist For You Guys And Ghouls|cmurray|October 30, 2020|Essence.com

Another one is fear of making a fool of oneself and looking stupid.
5 Psychology Terms You’re Probably Misusing (Ep. 334 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|January 9, 2020|Freakonomics
What they found was that most people preferred to work with the lovable fool rather than the competent jerk.
The Case Against In-Your-Face Atheism|Steve Neumann|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
You have to risk it, and be in danger of looking like an absolute fool.
The Brit Who Stormed Broadway|Tim Teeman|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This might not fool a knowledgeable whiskey drinker, but how many of those desperate for Pappy are knowledgeable whiskey drinkers?
The Cult of Pappy van Winkle|Eric Felten|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
My exact words were to allow ‘any fool in the world with Internet access’ to freely modify any page on the site.
You Can Look It Up: The Wikipedia Story|Walter Isaacson|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And also probably because this fool stopped at a red light in the middle of an intersection.
The Amanda Bynes Train Wreck Is Back Again, Following a New DUI Arrest|Kevin Fallon|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The heat of drunkenness is the stumblingblock of the fool, lessening strength and causing wounds.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Y was a Youth, that did not love school; Z was a Zany, a poor harmless fool.
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
I am not fool enough to put my precious Naps in jeopardy, just when I am so deucedly in want of them, too.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various
David thought the farmer a fool, and rode on, admiring the blue sky uncheckered by a single cloud.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
The crest-fallen astronomer plodded on his weary way, another example of a fool and his money soon parted.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various

British Dictionary definitions for fool (1 of 2)

fool¹

/ (fuːl) /

noun

a person who lacks sense or judgement

a person who is made to appear ridiculous

(formerly) a professional jester living in a royal or noble household

obsolete an idiot or imbecilethe village fool

form the fool Caribbean to play the fool or behave irritatingly

no fool a wise or sensible person

play the fool or act the fool to deliberately act foolishly; indulge in buffoonery

verb

(tr) to deceive (someone), esp in order to make him or her look ridiculous

(intr; foll by with, around with, or about with) informal to act or play (with) irresponsibly or aimlesslyto fool around with a woman

(intr) to speak or act in a playful, teasing, or jesting manner

(tr foll by away) to squander; fritterhe fooled away a fortune

fool along US to move or proceed in a leisurely way

adjective

informal short for foolish

Word Origin for fool

C13: from Old French fol mad person, from Late Latin follis empty-headed fellow, from Latin: bellows; related to Latin flāre to blow

British Dictionary definitions for fool (2 of 2)

fool²

/ (fuːl) /

noun

mainly British a dessert made from a purée of fruit with cream or custardgooseberry fool

Word Origin for fool

C16: perhaps from 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

Other Idioms and Phrases with fool

fool

In addition to the idioms beginning with fool

fool and his money are soon parted, a
fool around
fool away
fools rush in where angels fear to tread

also see:

make a fool of
nobody's fool
no fool like an old fool
not suffer fools gladly
play the fool
take for (a fool)

Also see underfoolish.

fool

OTHER WORDS FOR fool

OPPOSITES FOR fool

Idioms about fool

Origin of fool

OTHER WORDS FROM fool

Words nearby fool

Other definitions for fool (2 of 2)

Origin of fool

Words related to fool

How to use fool in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fool (1 of 2)

Word Origin for fool

British Dictionary definitions for fool (2 of 2)

Word Origin for fool

Other Idioms and Phrases with fool