foolish
Americanadjective
-
resulting from or showing a lack of sense; ill-considered: unwise.
a foolish action;
a foolish speech.
- Synonyms:
- thoughtless, imprudent, preposterous, nonsensical, absurd, ridiculous, unintelligent, senseless, brainless, witless, stupid
-
lacking forethought or caution.
- Synonyms:
- thoughtless, imprudent, incautious, heedless, half-baked, foolhardy, reckless, rash, impetuous
-
trifling, insignificant, or paltry.
adjective
-
unwise; silly
-
resulting from folly or stupidity
-
ridiculous or absurd; not worthy of consideration
-
weak-minded; simple
-
an archaic word for insignificant
Usage
What are other ways to say foolish? A foolish action is one that shows a lack of sense or is ill-considered. How is foolish different from fatuous, silly, inane, stupid, and asinine? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- foolishly adverb
- foolishness noun
- overfoolish adjective
- overfoolishly adverb
- quasi-foolish adjective
- quasi-foolishly adverb
- unfoolish adjective
- unfoolishly adverb
Etymology
Origin of foolish
First recorded in 1250–1300; from Middle English folish, foolish; fool 1, -ish 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.
Behind him, he heard the crack of the boar’s tusks ramming into the log, a wail as the foolish animal found himself stuck.
From Literature
Locals praised the sender for making amends, with one writing: "A lovely, kind gesture to make up for foolish actions from years ago."
From BBC
But, amid justified optimism that the famous Green Jacket might remain in UK hands, it would be foolish to ignore what has also been happening on the breakaway LIV Tour.
From BBC
Go through the account activity together, framing it as a routine check rather than accusing him of being foolish or incompetent.
From MarketWatch
“You go if you want. I do not care anymore. I cannot stop you, I know that now. It was foolish of me to think that I could. But we are staying here.”
From Literature
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.
