plural fools
1
: a person who lacks good sense or judgment : a stupid or silly person
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.
A fool and his money are soon parted. [=a foolish person spends money too quickly on unimportant things]
Any fool can see [=anyone can see] that he's lying.
I never thought you'd be fool enough to believe him. = I never thought you'd be enough of a fool to believe him.
(informal) Only that fool of a brother [=that foolish brother] of yours would ask such a silly question!
(informal) Some (damn/damned) fool of a driver kept trying to pass me!
Fools rush in (where angels fear to tread ). [=it is foolish to take action if you do not know much about what you are doing]
(Brit, informal) (The ) more fool you if you believe him. = (The) more fool you for believing him. [=you would be a fool to believe him]
(Brit, informal) More fool him for trusting her.
There's no fool like an old fool. [=a foolish old person is especially foolish because an old person should have learned from experience not to make the kind of mistakes a young person makes]
Note: A smart or clever person can be described as no fool or as nobody's fool.
2
US, informal
: a person who enjoys something very much
He's a dancing fool. [=he loves to dance]
He's a fool for candy. [=he loves to eat candy]
3
chiefly British
: a dessert made with cooked fruit and cream or a thick sauce
a strawberry fool
4
: jester
fools; fooled; fooling
1
2
: to make (someone) believe something that is not true : to trick (someone)
His disguise didn't fool anybody.
"He's an expert in his field." "Well, you sure could have fooled me!" [=I doubt that he is really an expert in his field]
He really had me fooled.
Stop fooling yourself —she doesn't really love you.
—often + intoHe fooled me into thinking I could trust him.
We were fooled into thinking there was no danger.
—sometimes used figurativelyfool the eye into seeing colors that aren't there
always used before a noun
US, informal
: foolish
The dog was barking its fool head off.
Some fool driver kept trying to pass me!
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/fool. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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