fool

noun

\ ˈfül

Definition of fool

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a person lacking in judgment or prudence Only a fool would ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet.

2a : a retainer (see retainer entry 1 sense 1) formerly kept in great households to provide casual entertainment and commonly dressed in motley with cap, bells, and bauble

b : one who is victimized or made to appear foolish : dupe History has made fools of many rash prophets.

3a : a harmlessly deranged person or one lacking in common powers of understanding

b : one with a marked propensity or fondness for something a dancing fool a fool for candy

4 : a cold dessert of pureed fruit mixed with whipped cream or custard

fool

adjective

Definition of fool (Entry 2 of 3)

: foolish, silly barking its fool head off

fool

verb

fooled; fooling; fools

Definition of fool (Entry 3 of 3)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about fool

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of fool in a Sentence

Noun

those fools who ride motorcycles without wearing helmets Only a fool would ask such a silly question. You'd be a fool to believe what he tells you. You're making yourself look like a fool.

Adjective

The dog was barking its fool head off. Some fool driver kept trying to pass me!

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

We are asked to see him simultaneously as a genius and a fool. — Salman Rushdie, The New Yorker, "What Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” Tells Us Now," 13 June 2019 Treating dads like incapable fools is not just insulting to them but to the detriment of women. — Bethanie Baynes, refinery29.com, "You Know What Dads Don't Need This Father's Day? Momsplaining," 10 June 2019 Billie eventually nailed her scene on the fourth try, but called her dad afterward to tell him about making a fool of herself. — Gabe Bergado, Teen Vogue, "Billie Lourd Wishes She Had a Movie Like "Booksmart" When She Was in High School," 20 May 2019 No one wants to be made a fool of, so a mind reader must make the con a pleasure to his prey. — Dmitry Samarov, Chicago Reader, "Mark Toland isn't really reading our minds—is he?," 16 May 2018 Don't let the star power fool you: Ted Bundy was a real person, and his crimes were monstrous. — Alexis Jones, Marie Claire, "Elizabeth Kendall's Ted Bundy Memoir Is the Inspiration Behind the New Netflix Film," 3 May 2019 And finding that strength gives you the power to flex on fools? — Lucy Diavolo, Teen Vogue, "Meet Shaymaa Ismaa'eel, the Muslim Girl Who Posed for Pics in front of Islamophobic Protestors," 24 Apr. 2019 For a fool proof method and a refreshing drink every time, here's the recipe for a classic margarita, in 3 easy steps. — Leah Silverman, Town & Country, "How to Make the Perfect Margarita," 11 Apr. 2019 Any fool with a phone can take a beautiful picture of a sunset on a clear evening (ugh, #nofilter braggers), but snap a waterproof case on and take some nature shots to for the 'gram. — Gena Kaufman, Glamour, "21 Rainy-Day Date Ideas That Aren't Another Movie," 30 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Lovely says that consumers shouldn’t be fooled by Trump’s claims that other countries are paying for tariffs. — Tara Law, Time, "As Trump Suspends New Tariffs on Mexico, Experts Warn That His Threats Could Damage the U.S. Economy," 8 June 2019 All is this is beautiful, and looks inevitable, yet don’t be fooled — none of it happened by accident. — Blair Kamin, chicagotribune.com, "'The Power of Preservation': Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin on why historic preservation matters in Wilmette," 3 June 2019 But let’s not be fooled into believing she’d belatedly developed a conscience. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Kirstjen Nielsen, Who Oversaw Family Separation at the Border, Apparently Wasn’t Tough Enough for Trump," 8 Apr. 2019 The gist: Don’t be fooled by the title—this one’s a Halloween classic, for sure. — Hannah Dylan Pasternak, SELF, "16 Classic Halloween Movies You Can Stream Right Now," 17 Oct. 2018 The illusions can involve multiple joints, and are potent enough to fool people into sensing that their arms are bending into weird, or even impossible, shapes. — Robbie Gonzalez, WIRED, "Researchers Restore “Feeling” to Lost Limbs—Kinda," 14 Mar. 2018 Anyone dismissing the kids from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High are fooling themselves. — Rochelle Riley, Detroit Free Press, "Riley: Parkland shooting should have spurred more political disobedience," 25 Feb. 2018 But don’t be fooled into thinking that Russia has ground to a political halt while the planet’s biggest sporting festival is going on. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "World Cup 2018: Proposed bill would make it illegal to criticize Russia's national team," 16 June 2018 However, you shouldn't be fooled by those 800-plus thread-count sheets. — Maggie Burch, House Beautiful, "How Often Should You Replace Your Sheets Set?," 11 Jan. 2019

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