Synonyms

make a fool of

Idioms

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.

make a fool of

Once Lee had the green light from his director to make a fool of himself, he was off and running.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2025

She added: "Please don't try and vote if you're watching on demand, you'll just make a fool of yourself."

From BBC ● Dec. 15, 2024

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

From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2023

“If they repress, they make a fool of themselves,” he said.

From New York Times ● May 22, 2023

But no, I had to go make a fool of myself in school.

From "Worth" by A. LaFaye

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