foolish

American  

[foo-lish] / ˈfu lɪʃ /

adjective

1. 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

2. lacking forethought or caution.

   Synonyms:

   thoughtless, imprudent, incautious, heedless, half-baked, foolhardy, reckless, rash, impetuous

3. trifling, insignificant, or paltry.

   Synonyms:

   picayune, trivial

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foolish British  

/ ˈfuːlɪʃ /

adjective

1. unwise; silly

2. resulting from folly or stupidity

3. ridiculous or absurd; not worthy of consideration

4. weak-minded; simple

5. an archaic word for insignificant

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foolish Idioms  

1. see penny wise and pound foolish.

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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; see fool ¹, -ish ¹

Explanation

Foolish people are silly or senseless, and when you do something foolish, it's clearly unwise or irrational. Sitting on the hood of a car while your friend is driving is a foolish thing to do. Things that show a lack of judgment are foolish, like cheating on a test or running into the street after a basketball. Foolish decisions at work can cost you your job, and foolish comments can hurt people's feelings. Foolish is a 14th century word that comes from fool, a person who's unwise. The Latin root, follis, means "bellows" or "leather bag." The "silly person" meaning comes from the figurative idea of a "windbag."

Example Sentences

“To try and sidestep Rubio while he is secretary of state is downright foolish and bound to backfire,” said Rick Herrero, the executive director of the Cuba Study Group, a Washington-based policy and advocacy group.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

But the characters in here make such foolish decisions that they barely seem real either.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

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 • Mar. 23, 2026

Go through the account activity together, framing it as a routine check rather than accusing him of being foolish or incompetent.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Suddenly, the idea of trying to resuscitate Ekon the same way Mama had taught her to resuscitate a kondoo calf seemed more than a little foolish.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Related Words

• absurd
• crazy
• fantastic
• ill-advised
• insane
• irrational
• ludicrous
• preposterous
• ridiculous
• silly
• stupid
• unreasonable
• unwise