1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in clown
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 sucker
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a fool for ice cream
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in psychopath
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
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
he's always got some fool plan or other
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to deceive
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 to joke
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fool
Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
Holding out hope for Hannah’s return, or Janine’s liberation, or… anything, really, by this point in the Hulu drama’s final run can feel like a fool’s errand.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Apr. 2025
John Nemec, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
Amazon sellers are inflating ratings with fake reviews, and content creators are joining engagement pods to fool social media algorithms.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Noun
That said, sense-making is a fool’s errand in this era.
—Damon Beres, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
Holding out hope for Hannah’s return, or Janine’s liberation, or… anything, really, by this point in the Hulu drama’s final run can feel like a fool’s errand.
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 8 Apr. 2025
Verb
Each plays a role in fooling their foe, who captures the turtle, while the deer, heeding the turtle’s good counsel, manages a sly escape.
—John Nemec, The Conversation, 7 Apr. 2025
Amazon sellers are inflating ratings with fake reviews, and content creators are joining engagement pods to fool social media algorithms.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
-
Clown Alert This post is a scaredy-cat guide designed mostly for viewers who suffer from flight anxiety, but some people are scared of clowns too.—
Anne Victoria Clark,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2025
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The teaser does feature a glimpse at Calypso, the man who hosts the tournament, as well as a signature laugh from Sweet Tooth the terrifying clown.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The Trump administration has characterized that role as one for suckers, in which the United States restrained its hard power and allowed other countries to bleed its wealth.—
Margaret MacMillan,
The Atlantic,
30 Apr. 2025
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These stems, called suckers, are a different variety than the top growth and will have different flowers, as well as drawing energy and resources away from the main plant.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The idea of the Nuggets claiming three more games in this series with Michael Porter Jr. scoring three points — on Denver’s first basket, no less — is foolish.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The first three days of the season took care of such foolish rookie thoughts and proved to be a humbling, but learning, experience.—
Thomas Weddle,
Outdoor Life,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Jurors found Peters guilty in August for using someone else’s security badge to give an expert affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell access to the Mesa County election system and deceiving other officials about that person’s identity.—
Colleen Slevin,
Twin Cities,
22 Apr. 2025
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Stribling tried to deceive officers by saying Bailei was shot in a robbery, The Detroit News reported.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The Whalen video used audio of Hemphill joking about the possibility of activists getting arrested for removing the Pride flag.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
20 Apr. 2025
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Several users joked about the situation, with one user posting a photo of the Spotify logo on top of a grave.—
Miranda Nazzaro,
The Hill,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Learn more about management options and which food plants are most susceptible to this insect in our harlequin bug on vegetables web page.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Once infused with the diabolical spirit, the guide is transformed into a buffoon, complete with a harlequin outfit—a mad joker and a dancing fool who does a little jig to the sound of a jazz trio.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Beverly ends up doing something he’s not done before — falling deeply for one of their patients/lovers, actress Claire (Geneviève Bujold).—
Barry Levitt,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
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Cascada’s rendition replaces Reilly’s yearning with decidedly more bombast, but the ecstatic feeling of connecting with a lover – whether on an elevator, dancefloor or basketball court – remains at the center.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Finger-pointing is done as the adults bicker over who’s really a psychopath.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
4 Apr. 2025
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On the madman’s tail is Elena (Giovanna Grigio), an ambitious young journalist who wants to make a name for herself in her boys-club newsroom by finding the psychopath before the cops do.—
Erik Piepenburg,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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