foolishness

[ foo-lish-nis ]

/ ˈfu lɪʃ nɪs /

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See synonyms for foolishness on Thesaurus.com

Definition of foolishness

noun

lack of wisdom or good judgment; foolish quality: Oh, the foolishness of thinking that wealth brings happiness!

foolish talk, ideas, or behavior: How could someone with such a clever mind as yourself talk such foolishness?

a foolish act, error, habit, etc.: Shakespeare, who looks at all men as if from Mount Olympus, notes their foibles and foolishnesses, and yet smiles on them all.

QUIZ

TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS

Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”

Question 1 of 7

What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of foolishness

foolish + -ness

OTHER WORDS FROM foolishness

o·ver·fool·ish·ness, nounun·fool·ish·ness, noun

Words nearby foolishness

foolery, foolfish, foolhardy, fool hen, foolish, foolishness, foolproof, foolscap, fool's errand, fool's gold, fool's mate

How to use foolishness in a sentence

I felt like I could write and speak with optimism about the future of conversation without it being foolish optimism.
Better conversations: The 7 essential elements of meaningful communication|matthewheimer|November 24, 2020|Fortune
You could call Wolfe’s tactic of pushing an antelope until it collapses crazy, foolish, or futile.
Can a hunter outrun an antelope? This ultra-marathoner is finding out.|By Christine Peterson/Outdoor Life|November 23, 2020|Popular-Science
Sometimes the same decision that’s labeled as genius in one context is labeled as foolish in another, depending on the way the ball bounces.
The Dodgers Were The Best Team. And The Best Team Won.|Travis Sawchik|October 28, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
So I would feel foolish putting the scientific ideas out there but not making my own comment about a larger conversation that includes more perspectives on what some of this could mean.
The Physicist’s New Book of Life - Issue 92: Frontiers|Michael Brooks|October 21, 2020|Nautilus

Trying to envision life months or a couple of years down the road may seem futile or even foolish.
How to plan your life during a pandemic|Amy Nordrum|September 26, 2020|MIT Technology Review
At the first glance I saw she had been punished for her foolishness.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"This is foolishness," Reid said after the vote of the continued obstinacy.
Republicans Filibuster Hagel Nomination|Ali Gharib|February 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Washington lectures London on the foolishness of debating process instead of getting to grips with real problems?
An Ever-Closer Union|Megan McArdle|January 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Outside of those examples, though, the idea that anyone is losing freedoms in this country is foolishness.
Behind Court Challenge to Health Care Lies the Right’s ‘Freedom Fetish’|Michael Tomasky|March 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Neo-soul singer Jill Scott has little time for “foolishness.”
Jill Scott’s Soul Searching|Allison Samuels|June 22, 2011|DAILY BEAST
I see no infinite goodness here, but only the infinite foolishness of sentimental superstition.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
Jess carried this idea in her mind, although she was not as much troubled by her schoolmates foolishness as was Mother Wit.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
Or perhaps a species of snob who cannot see the difference between his own foolishness and the foolishness of others.
The Whale and the Grasshopper|Seumas O'Brien
As favour and riches forsake a man, we discover in him the foolishness they concealed, and which no one perceived before.
The 'Characters' of Jean de La Bruyre|Jean de La Bruyre
She even tried to sing again, in her faint sweet voice, some of the dear old songs, laughing softly at her own foolishness.
David Fleming's Forgiveness|Margaret Murray Robertson