1
as in lunatics
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clowns
a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks
a king's fool could get away with saying things that others in the palace couldn't
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in suckers
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a fool for ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in maniacs
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind
he got out of serving in the army by successfully pretending to be a fool
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in tricks
to cause to believe what is untrue
I fooled him into thinking that we were driving to the store, not to his surprise birthday party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in jokes
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fools
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Antisemitism is the socialism of fools, right?
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim were among the first fools brave enough to go live-action on Adult Swim, setting the template for shows like Check It Out!
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Only fools would think differently.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Sadly, OpenAI plays us for fools.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
Both James Cameron and Apple Studios have made fools of those who have discounted them, but the blockbuster director has just done so more often.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026
So our founder goes to the next best thing – friends, families and fools.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
The fools of twenty-first-century Western imperialism possessed little of the historical literacy, let alone the moral sophistication, of Arendt, Weil, and Camus.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
Noun
McGinn sets high standards in training and during games and does not suffer fools.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
Antisemitism is the socialism of fools, right?
—Suzanne Schneider, The New York Review of Books, 25 Mar. 2026
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim were among the first fools brave enough to go live-action on Adult Swim, setting the template for shows like Check It Out!
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 18 Mar. 2026
Only fools would think differently.
—ABC News, 15 Mar. 2026
Sadly, OpenAI plays us for fools.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
Both James Cameron and Apple Studios have made fools of those who have discounted them, but the blockbuster director has just done so more often.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 14 Jan. 2026
So our founder goes to the next best thing – friends, families and fools.
—Neil Senturia, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
The fools of twenty-first-century Western imperialism possessed little of the historical literacy, let alone the moral sophistication, of Arendt, Weil, and Camus.
—Victor J. Blue, Harpers Magazine, 23 Nov. 2025
Verb
What fools these non-OpenAI mortals must be.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 15 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fools
Noun
-
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wasn’t far behind, saying the war is being waged against religious lunatics.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The danger is in doing nothing as theocratic lunatics continue to weaponize with atomic bombs and modern missile delivery systems.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Performances and stunts are delivered by international acrobats and clowns during music and light shows.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
How did clowns become a protest symbol?—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
One of the largest suckers in North America, the Razorback Sucker can grow up to three feet long.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
-
This is done by removing suckers early for several weeks after transplanting.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Because Sidney Prescott, now Evans, exists only in relationship to Ghostface, the costume worn by many different knife-wielding maniacs over the years, starting with her high school boyfriend.—
Katie Walsh,
Twin Cities,
3 Mar. 2026
-
Because Sidney Prescott, now Evans, exists only in relationship to Ghostface, the costume worn by many different knife-wielding maniacs over the years, starting with her high school boyfriend.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Pitt sometimes tricks us about a character by giving us one perspective on them for a long time before revealing something totally different.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Oppo has some additional fun software tricks up its sleeve.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The comedian jokes to laughter and applause before asking if anyone in the room is a lawyer.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Bridges jokes that her staff are more nervous about a drop-by visit from her than from state inspectors.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While 90% of food allergies involve exposure to the top nine allergens (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy/milk, eggs, sesame, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish), people can be allergic to many other foods.—
Dr. Sonja O'Leary,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
While the Middle East isn’t as large an export market for California farmers and ranchers as Canada, the European Union or Mexico; the United Arab Emirates ranks in the top 10 as the nuts, strawberries and other products exported there are distributed across the region.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This cozy getaway is designed for vintage lovers and hygge seekers—and is almost guaranteed to make it onto your Instagram feed.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The event, which was started by the city but is now run by Red Rock 4-Wheelers, gives 4×4 lovers a chance to responsibly drive on trails through one of the most beautiful natural settings in the country.—
Bryan Hood,
Robb Report,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fools.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fools. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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