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Synonyms

foolhardy

American  
[fool-hahr-dee] / ˈfulˌhɑr di /

adjective

foolhardier, foolhardiest

  1. recklessly or thoughtlessly bold; foolishly rash or venturesome.

    Synonyms:
    incautious, heedless, headlong, impetuous
foolhardy British  
/ ˈfuːlˌhɑːdɪ /

adjective

  1. heedlessly rash or adventurous

"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

  • foolhardily adverb
  • foolhardiness noun

Etymology

Origin of foolhardy

1175–1225; Middle English folhardy < Old French fol hardi. See fool 1, hardy 1

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.

Netflix is so dominant that it seems foolhardy not to bet on its continued success at this point.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 20, 2026

The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits after Thanksgiving jumped to a three-month high, but it’s foolhardy to judge the overall health of the labor market on holiday seasons.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 15, 2025

When Newby announced that he was running for a seat on North Carolina’s Supreme Court in the 2004 election, it seemed like a foolhardy choice.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025

But it would be exceptionally brave, or foolhardy, judging on the statistics alone.

From BBC • Nov. 10, 2024

He was afraid, but Tam Lin had taught him it was foolhardy to show weakness.

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.