fool

1 of 3

noun

plural fools
1
: a person lacking in judgment or prudence
Only a fool would ride a motorcycle without wearing a helmet.
2
a
: 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.
3
a
: a person lacking in common powers of understanding or reason
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

2 of 3

adjective

: foolish, silly
barking its fool head off

fool

3 of 3

verb

fooled; fooling; fools

intransitive verb

1
a
: to behave foolishly
told the children to stop their fooling
see also fool around
b
: to meddle, tamper, or experiment especially thoughtlessly or ignorantly
Don't fool with that drill.
see also fool around with
2
a
: 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

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
Trying to judge how ready a player is for the season based on spring training stats can be a fool’s errand. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2024 And after the surprises of 2016 and 2020, only a fool would say a few percentage points in a few states wouldn't matter. Ron Elving, NPR, 3 Mar. 2024 Foster’s Danvers more explicitly doesn’t suffer fools, but Reis’ Navarro is just as strong-willed in her way. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 19 Feb. 2024 Becoming head coach of a brand new team in the middle of the season is a fool’s errand. Brian Sampson, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Trying to recapture one’s early magic is a fool’s game, Andriano says. Peter Larsen, Orange County Register, 14 Feb. 2024 But don’t let that teamwork and co-parenting fool you. Maggie Menderski, The Courier-Journal, 7 Feb. 2024 Many of the former Lakers greats were there, from Magic Johnson to Jerry West to Pau Gasol to Jamaal Wilkes and even the new coach of the improving Cal team, that dancing fool Mark Madsen. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2024 Putin has played Trump for a fool, praising Trump’s 24-hour pledge fulsomely last September. Trudy Rubin, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2024
Verb
Don't let the small stature of a finger vibe fool you: These discreet picks bring on some climax-inducing vibrations. Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 3 Mar. 2024 Clear enough to fool the eyes Butterflies darted in and out of our path and goats stood guard along the half-mile dirt road that led deep into the woods to Hoyo Claro, a cenote near the beach resort of Punta Cana. Mya Guarnieri, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 Researchers have demonstrated how injection attacks fool a variety of chatbots, including Microsoft’s and the OpenAI technology they are based on. Jackie Davalos, Fortune, 28 Feb. 2024 The residential population might be small within the town's border, but don't let that fool you. Stacey Leasca, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 Baking projects were among our most-clicked, like this fudgy gluten-free chocolate cake that had even the test kitchen staff fooled, and a nutty chocolate and oat cookie studded with tart cherries. Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appétit, 27 Feb. 2024 Tonight's full moon may look smaller but don't be fooled. Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024 For the final play of his sorry UCLA tenure, Chip Kelly finally ran something that fooled somebody. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 We've all been fooled by sham celebrity romances and this, partly at least, felt like one. Mike Freeman, USA TODAY, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fool.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Adjective, and Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French fol, from Late Latin follis, from Latin, bellows, bag; akin to Old High German bolla blister, balg bag — more at belly

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1529, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of fool was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near fool

Cite this Entry

“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fool. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fool

1 of 2 noun
1
: a person who lacks good sense or judgment
2
: a person formerly kept in a noble or royal household to amuse with jests and pranks

fool

2 of 2 verb
1
a
: to spend time idly
just fooling around
b
: to meddle or tamper thoughtlessly or ignorantly
don't fool with that dial
2
: to speak or act in fun : joke
I was only fooling
3
: to make a fool of : trick

More from Merriam-Webster on fool

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