foolish

adjective

fool·​ish ˈfü-lish 

1

: having or showing a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion

a foolish mistake

She takes foolish risks.

2

a

: absurd, ridiculous

He looked foolish in that hat.

b

: marked by a loss of composure : nonplussed

He felt foolish when he couldn't remember where he had parked the car.

3

: insignificant, trifling

foolishly adverb

Synonyms

• absurd
• asinine
• balmy
• brainless
• bubbleheaded
• cockeyed
• crackpot
• crazy
• cuckoo
• daffy
• daft
• dippy
• dotty
• fatuous
• featherheaded
• fool
• half-baked
• harebrained
• half-witted
• inept
• insane
• jerky
• kooky
• kookie
• loony
• looney
• lunatic
• lunkheaded
• mad
• nonsensical
• nutty
• preposterous
• sappy
• screwball
• senseless
• silly
• simpleminded
• stupid
• tomfool
• unwise
• wacky
• whacky
• weak-minded
• witless
• zany

Choose the Right Synonym for foolish

simple, foolish, silly, fatuous, asinine mean actually or apparently deficient in intelligence.

simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

Examples of foolish in a Sentence

He was wearing a foolish grin.

She's been taking foolish risks.

Those flashy clothes make her look foolish.

She must feel foolish wearing those flashy clothes.

I never thought you'd be foolish enough to believe him.

Recent Examples on the Web

But what is also troubling is reading the reckless, nonsensical, juvenile and foolish comments in Voice of the People, especially the Trump-hating Biden supporters. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 July 2024

Bea, however, remains the woman who Ladner mocked as being vain and cowardly and foolish. —Constance Grady, Vox, 9 July 2024

IndieWire’s introductory paragraph is foolish enough to confess this crime: Westerns have been inextricably linked with a strain of classical white masculinity — mostly glorifying it, sometimes critiquing it, but always centering it. —Armond White, National Review, 5 July 2024

Elemental started slow but became a sleeper success, suggesting that a reliance on old glories might actually be foolish. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

see fool entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing foolish

• penny-wise and/but pound-foolish
• pound-foolish

Kids Definition

foolish

adjective

fool·​ish ˈfü-lish 

: lacking in good sense or judgment : silly

foolishly adverb

foolishness noun