plural follies
1
: lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight
his folly in thinking he could not be caught
2
a
: criminally or tragically foolish actions or conduct
b
3
: a foolish act or idea
The prank was a youthful folly.
4
: an excessively costly or unprofitable undertaking
Paying so much for that land was folly, since it was all rocks and scrub trees.
5
: an often extravagant picturesque building erected to suit a fanciful taste
Examples of folly in a Sentence
the folly of driving fast on steep, winding roads
his folly in thinking that he would not be noticed
The folly of such an action should be apparent to everyone.
the follies of the modern world
the famous Ziegfeld Follies of the 1920s
Recent Examples on the Web
Jim Cramer has long believed that taking only a top-down view on picking stocks can be sheer folly.
—
Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
Kleinschmidt’s sessions, with their assistance in permitting him to air these childhood traumas and the interplay of insight and folly in Freudianism, was the stew out of which emerged the novel that made Roth a household name.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Clinton’s folly The idea of connecting New York City to the Great Lakes originated in the late 18th century.
—Matthew Smith, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2025
No one knows if Altman’s 250-gigawatt plan will prove to be brilliant or folly.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
Kleinschmidt’s sessions, with their assistance in permitting him to air these childhood traumas and the interplay of insight and folly in Freudianism, was the stew out of which emerged the novel that made Roth a household name.
—Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2025
Clinton’s folly The idea of connecting New York City to the Great Lakes originated in the late 18th century.
—Matthew Smith, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2025
No one knows if Altman’s 250-gigawatt plan will prove to be brilliant or folly.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folly. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
folly
noun
fol·ly
ˈfäl-ē 
plural follies
1
: lack of good sense or judgment
2
: foolish behavior
3
: a foolish act or idea
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share