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
"It was folly, pure folly," protested Lingard, "and this poor fellow has paid for it."—
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
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.
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
This is a scrapbook of utopian folly, yes, but also an insider’s look at what was, for a time, the wildest workplace on Earth.
—Andrew Holter, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
And now the supercilious Ivy League twits try to dodge the consequences of their woke follies.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
The follies of youth can go both ways.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
Nuance and curiosity carry this tale of a compulsively ambitious man who rose from the depths of poverty on a California lemon ranch to the highest perch of American superpower before burning his wings on the folly of his own paranoia and insecurities.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
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Andrew Holter, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
And now the supercilious Ivy League twits try to dodge the consequences of their woke follies.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 24 Dec. 2025
The follies of youth can go both ways.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 23 Dec. 2025
Nuance and curiosity carry this tale of a compulsively ambitious man who rose from the depths of poverty on a California lemon ranch to the highest perch of American superpower before burning his wings on the folly of his own paranoia and insecurities.
—Tim Greiving, HollywoodReporter, 20 Dec. 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 8 Jan. 2026.
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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