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
And, of course, there’s no way Trump would bend and sign Massie’s bill into law, meaning this whole thing is a legislative folly.
—
Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
This folly—which Iran has sternly warned against—is immoral, unjustified, and unlawful.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
As such, the soufflé has long served as a kind of culinary metaphor for highly skilled folly, something nutritionally inconsequential, fleeting, but nevertheless a testimony to its creator’s craftsmanship.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
Just as the Kremlin sought to quell dissent against its vicious campaign in the restive republic, so, too, has a deafening silence accompanied its Ukraine folly.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
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Philip Elliott, Time, 8 Sep. 2025
This folly—which Iran has sternly warned against—is immoral, unjustified, and unlawful.
—Amira El-Fekki, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
As such, the soufflé has long served as a kind of culinary metaphor for highly skilled folly, something nutritionally inconsequential, fleeting, but nevertheless a testimony to its creator’s craftsmanship.
—Leila Latif, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2025
Just as the Kremlin sought to quell dissent against its vicious campaign in the restive republic, so, too, has a deafening silence accompanied its Ukraine folly.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 31 Aug. 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 16 Sep. 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
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