foolishness

noun

fool·ish·ness | \ ˈfü-lish-nəs

How to pronounce foolishness (audio)

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Definition of foolishness

1 : foolish behavior

2 : a foolish act or idea

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about foolishness

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Examples of foolishness in a Sentence

the foolishness of going off to search for the fountain of youth couldn't listen to another second of their foolishness, so I told them to be quiet

Recent Examples on the Web The name tarot is derived from the Italian tarocchi, with its derivative, taroch being a synonym for foolishness. — Alegría Adedeji, Harper's BAZAAR, "After a Bad Break Up, Tarot Dispelled My Anxiety," 17 Feb. 2021 Knowing this show, however, Kate is absolutely going to be suffering some foolishness (and romance and heartbreak) on the path to love. — Halle Kiefer, Vulture, "Sex Education’s Simone Ashley Joins the Ton as Bridgerton’s Season Two Female Lead," 16 Feb. 2021 The Portland Trail Blazers ran into a Los Angeles Clippers team Wednesday night that was in no mood for foolishness three days after getting blown out by 51 points against Dallas. — oregonlive, "Portland Trail Blazers aim to shake off blowout loss at the Los Angeles Clippers," 31 Dec. 2020 The character and the actor had the difficult task of being a grounding force on a show known for flights of foolishness (Gilligan), greed (Thurston Howell III) and vanity (Ginger), but Wells pulled it off with aplomb. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "R.I.P. Dawn Wells: Remembering my boat cruise with lovely Mary Ann from 'Gilligan's Island'," 31 Dec. 2020 But the pretty part of the story is the telling of the Santa legend to little Natalie, a child who had been brought up by a practical mother to know better than to believe in such foolishness. — Merrie Monteagudo, San Diego Union-Tribune, "‘Miracle on 34th St.’ was an instant holiday classic in 1947," 20 Dec. 2020 The grand dame of pop and R&B is all in on Twitter — sharing the love while refusing to tolerate any foolishness. — Los Angeles Times, "Sorry, monolith. I’m just not into you. 5 things that are infinitely more interesting," 9 Dec. 2020 Saturday’s games kicked off and the conference officials again underscored the problems with bad calls, confusion and foolishness. — oregonlive, "Canzano: Pac-12 football season racing to the finish one bad spot at a time," 6 Dec. 2020 For Durkin, the adamant facts of money blast away the lies that surround it, the deceptions of those who covet it overweeningly, the sham of those who treat it as a badge of honor, the foolishness of those who hope to be warmed by its chilly power. — Richard Brody, The New Yorker, "“The Nest,” Reviewed: Jude Law Plays a Banker Who Buys Into Money’s Lies," 17 Nov. 2020

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

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Dictionary Entries near foolishness

foolish guillemot

Statistics for foolishness

Last Updated

2 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foolishness. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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