foolishness

noun

fool·​ish·​ness ˈfü-lish-nəs 

1

: foolish behavior

2

: a foolish act or idea

Synonyms

• absurdity
• asininity
• balminess
• brainlessness
• craziness
• daftness
• dippiness
• dottiness
• fatuity
• fatuousness
• folly
• imbecility
• inanity
• insanity
• lunacy
• madness
• nonsensicalness
• nuttiness
• preposterousness
• senselessness
• silliness
• simplicity
• unwisdom
• wackiness
• witlessness
• zaniness

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

Mindless as tariffs are, the foolishness of tariff imposition is magnified when the individual behind the implementation demands that prices not reflect the initial error. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 1 June 2025

From physical fights to is-he-or-isn’t-he paternity test foolishness and now revenge p-rn, the storylines can get out of control. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 7 Apr. 2025

The Adams case is not the only one that will bring the foolishness of this directive into sharp relief. —Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 15 Feb. 2025

Making any judgements about the actual validity of their complaints is the height of foolishness right now, with so much legal process runway still ahead. —James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1