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Synonyms

foolery

American  
[foo-luh-ree] / ˈfu lə ri /

noun

fooleries plural
  1. foolish action or conduct.

  2. a foolish action, performance, or thing.


foolery British  
/ ˈfuːlərɪ /

noun

  1. foolish behaviour

  2. an instance of this, esp a prank or trick

"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 Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of foolery

First recorded in 1545–55; fool 1 + -ery

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

“Eventually after much tom foolery, the critter was captured and removed from the freeway,” the state police wrote on the agency’s Twitter page.

From Seattle Times May 22, 2023

It takes no less than 10 seconds for the foolery to start.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 11, 2022

The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.

From New York Times Apr. 25, 2022

“We don’t tolerate any foolery, because this is something we want to see succeed,” he said.

From Washington Times Dec. 15, 2019

It was a simple piece of foolery but it had bothered Doc ever since.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

He complained about rampant "fooleries" like playing dice and cards and wearing masks.

From Salon Dec. 24, 2020

Jerry, who does the nightclub bit these days, may be recalling that atrocious bomb of 1963 when ABC invested many millions on a 40-part series of his fooleries, then canceled out after only 13.

From Time Magazine Archive

A substitute for distractions, when we go on enjoying all the old fooleries to the very last?

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

These "fooleries," which Erasmus calls most gross and absurd, he says are practiced not merely by the vulgar, but by "such proficients in religion as one might well expect should have more wit."

From Caricature and Other Comic Art in all Times and many Lands. by Parton, James

‘Bianca,’ said he, ‘mark my words——’” “Thou ravest,” said Manfred in a rage! “begone, and keep these fooleries to frighten thy companions.”

From Shorter Novels, Eighteenth Century The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia; The Castle of Otranto, a Gothic Story; Vathek, an Arabian Tale by Beckford, William

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