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Synonyms

make a fool of

Idioms  

  1. Also,. Cause someone or oneself to look foolish or stupid. For example, John doesn't mind making a fool of himself at parties, or They made an ass of me by giving me the wrong instructions, or Just watch him make a monkey out of this amateur chess player. The use of fool and ass date from the early 1600s; the latter is sometimes put more rudely as make a horse's ass of, alluding to a horse's behind. The use of monkey dates from about 1900.

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.

So, when I let them down like this and when I make a fool of myself in a moment like today, yeah, I have a lot of regret.

From BBC • Jun. 15, 2025

Also, a way to make a fool of himself for no reason at all.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2023

“I can’t hear it because I make a fool of myself, I immediately start crying,” she said.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 30, 2023

“But he was also an actor who was willing to go to a place where he wasn’t afraid to make a fool of himself. He wasn’t wrapped up in being this supercool, emotionless, good-looking dude.”

From New York Times • Jul. 1, 2022

And, I mean, it’s bad enough to go up there and make a fool of yourself if it’s just you and the climbing group.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer

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.