folly

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noun fol·ly \ ˈfä-lē \

Definition of folly

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 obsolete :evil, wickedness; especially :lewd behavior

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

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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 of folly from the Web

Indeed, it’s made reasonably clear by the sardonic prewar remarks of Rhett Butler that Mitchell thought secession was an act of folly.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Yes, Gone With the Wind Is Another Neo-Confederate Monument," 30 Aug. 2017
My intention was to point out the folly of Frank Clark and Thomas Rawls of the Seahawks basically starting fights instead of simply playing good, very physical football.

— peter king, SI.com, "Odell Beckham Jr. Hit: ‘That’s Football’ Says Retired NFL DB Charles Woodson," 23 Aug. 2017
Iglesias’ bad baserunning was the latest in a long list of follies this season.

— anthony fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Bruce Rondon incites worst moment of an embarrassing Detroit Tigers season," 27 July 2017
But really, a production as zany as Phil’s Follies belonged on Broadway.

— david whitley, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Magic's loss was Knicks' Zen disaster," 28 June 2017
But floor it, and you quickly see that the rush is intoxicating but not pure folly.

— marco della cava, USA TODAY, "Review: Bugatti's Chiron supercar is $3M of 'Hold on!'," 23 June 2017
The wisdom or folly of getting rid of the office, first led by Richard Holbrooke, is hotly debated by experts.

— chicagotribune.com, "State department to scrap Afghanistan-Pakistan envoy," 23 June 2017
But his personal life, much like his oeuvre, is an unbroken chain of romantic folly.

— eric konigsberg, Vanities, "How David Foster Became “Patient Zero” of the Kardashian Phenomenon," 19 June 2017
The director accompanies Titania’s lament over humans’ folly with a potent montage of nature under siege, bringing the material further into the present moment.

— sheri linden, The Hollywood Reporter, "‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’: Film Review | LAFF 2017," 18 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'folly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of folly

Middle English folie, from Anglo-French, from fol fool

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First Known Use: 13th century

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folly Synonyms

FOLLY Defined for English Language Learners

folly

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noun

Definition of folly for English Language Learners

: the lack of good sense or judgment
: a foolish act or idea : foolish behavior
: a very unusual or fancy building that was built in a garden for decoration or amusement in the past