foolhardy

fool·har·dy

adjective \ˈfül-ˌhär-dē\

Definition of FOOLHARDY

: foolishly adventurous and bold : rash

— fool·har·di·ly \-ˌhär-d^əl-ē\ adverb

— fool·har·di·ness \-ˌhär-dē-nəs\ noun

Examples of FOOLHARDY

1. <hikers who were foolhardy enough to remain on the summit during a thunderstorm>
2. <it's foolhardy to go hiking during late fall without warm clothes>

First Known Use of FOOLHARDY

13th century

Related to FOOLHARDY

Synonyms

audacious, brash, daredevil, madcap, overbold, overconfident, reckless, temerarious

Antonyms

careful, cautious, circumspect, guarded, heedful, prudent, safe, wary

Related Words

adventuresome, adventurous, bold, daring, venturesome, venturous; brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted, valiant, valorous; hotheaded; impetuous, imprudent, impulsive, incautious, rash; brainless, foolish, harebrained, scatterbrained; careless, heedless, thoughtless; hasty, headlong, precipitate

Near Antonyms

unadventurous, unambitious; fainthearted, fearful, mousy (or mousey), scary, shy, skittish, timid, timorous; calm, cool, levelheaded, sensible; alert, intelligent, quick-witted, sharp; chicken, chickenhearted, cowardly, craven, dastardly, lily-livered, pusillanimous, recreant, spineless, unheroic, yellow

See Synonym Discussion at adventurous

Rhymes with FOOLHARDY

half-hardy, Lombardy, Sephardi