fool

³fool

verb

Definition of FOOL

intransitive verb

1

a : to behave foolishly <told the children to stop their fooling> —often used with around b : to meddle, tamper, or experiment especially thoughtlessly or ignorantly <don't fool with that gun> —often used with around

2

a : to play or improvise a comic role b : to speak in jest : joke <I was only fooling>

3

: to contend or fight without serious intent or with less than full strength : toy <a dangerous man to fool with>

transitive verb

1

: to make a fool of : deceive

2

obsolete : infatuate

3

: to spend on trifles or without advantage : fritter —used with away

Examples of FOOL

1. When she first told us that she was getting married, we thought she was fooling.
2. His disguise didn't fool anybody.
3. He really had me fooled.
4. Stop fooling yourself—she doesn't really love you.

First Known Use of FOOL

1593

Related to FOOL

Synonyms: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, delude, dupe, fake out, deceive, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick

Antonyms: undeceive

Related Words: kid, put on, tease; bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, flam, fleece, gyp, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle

Near Antonyms: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask; disclose, divulge, tell, unveil; disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

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