not suffer fools gladly

Idioms

Refuse to tolerate stupidity, as in Chris can be intimidating at these meetings; she does not suffer fools gladly. This expression comes from the New Testament (II Corinthians 11:19), where Paul sarcastically says, “For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise.” [c. 1600]

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.

See Examples For:

not suffer fools gladly

Former DUP leader Peter Robinson is a man who - ahem - does not suffer fools gladly.

From BBC ● Dec. 26, 2023

He did not suffer fools gladly — interviewers of the day described him as prickly.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 1, 2022

I'm told they were both shrewd business women who "ran a tight ship" and "did not suffer fools gladly."

From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2022

Klain can occasionally be prickly or short tempered and has been described as one who does not suffer fools gladly.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 1, 2020

He was a poker-faced judge who did not suffer fools gladly.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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