fool

[ fool ]

/ ful /

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.

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Idioms for fool

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

Origin of fool

1225–75; Middle English fol, fool<Old French fol<Latin follis bellows, bag; cf. follis

SYNONYMS FOR fool

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

2 zany, clown.

5 moron, imbecile, idiot.

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

SEE SYNONYMS FOR fool ON THESAURUS.COM

ANTONYMS FOR fool

1 genius.

SEE ANTONYMS FOR fool ON THESAURUS.COM

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

Definition 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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for fool

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
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

HPV is so transient because no form of safe sex is fool proof.
The Silent Shame of HPV|Emily Shire|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then nothing happens again and you fool around and fool around and – Wow!
Up To a Point: Oops, I Enjoyed Soccer|P. J. O’Rourke|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And I've not only failed in nearly everything I undertook, but I've been a fool besides.
A Yankee from the West|Opie Read
Jest because she don't care for gewgaws like you do, you think she's a fool.
The Girl from Montana|Grace Livingston Hill
He began to covet this girl mightily, even while he told himself that he was a fool for his pains.
Mavericks|William MacLeod Raine
“True; but you are yet a fool,” returned the wizard contemptuously.
Red Rooney|R.M. Ballantyne
He would like to kill the fool who helped the Venetians to their arms.
The Saracen: Land of the Infidel|Robert Shea

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

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.

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fool