1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
he's always got some fool plan or other
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Don't let the fancy name fool you; this gorgeous chicken cutlet recipe is fairly easy to make.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
In order to not be fooled by narcissistic kindness, Sarkis encourages people to view one-off good deeds in the context of someone's overall behavior.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Noun
Made in 1905, crammed with comedy players, and hand-tinted with blurts of rough color, the film purports to show a car being driven by King Leopold II of Belgium, who is depicted as a fool behind the wheel.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Don't let the fancy name fool you; this gorgeous chicken cutlet recipe is fairly easy to make.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
Verb
But don't let that fool you—this dessert is delicious.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025
In order to not be fooled by narcissistic kindness, Sarkis encourages people to view one-off good deeds in the context of someone's overall behavior.
—Charles Trepany, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
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So that episode will make fun [of] billionaire life-extension body-hacking lunatics.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Sep. 2025
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Whether those people are sickened by grief and rage into a kind of temporary insanity, genuine lunatics, hustlers looking to milk a little more engagement or some combination of the three doesn’t really matter.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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More than a decade later, the series continues to reimagine American histories and channel primal fears — from clowns and cults, to witches and ghosts — with each installment cloaked in social commentary and camp.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Oct. 2025
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But that won't ease the fears of anyone who categorizes clowns as monsters.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Only a sucker would think the curtain close of the Eras Tour marked the end of Swift’s almighty reign in the pop sphere.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
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The team in green silenced a sea of red and white with a sucker-punch of a goal from a set-play.—
Joseph O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This place belongs to the Carver, a deranged butcher who hunts anything foolish enough to enter.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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France had been humiliated in 1871 by Prussia in a foolish war of its own making, and Dreyfus, accused of passing military secrets to the Germans, was a convenient scapegoat in a time of national malaise.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Everton appear locked in a cycle where their starting No 9 flatters to deceive, is left out for the next game, but then the replacement fares little better.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
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Unfortunately, bank customers aren't always reimbursed when they're hit by some scams, including when they're deceived into making a payment to a con artist, such as in a romance scam.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Of course, TikTok viewers couldn’t resist joking about Bentley and Prada’s setup.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
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Munich airport was shut down this morning due to unauthorized drones in its airspace, and Putin joked about it in Sochi.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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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
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Pity the poor actor who has to co-star opposite a 150-pound harlequin Great Dane.—
Peter Rainer,
Christian Science Monitor,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Vaughan has also made his mark on primetime television, with roles such as the charming firefighter Dan Gordon on Charmed and Calvin Galston, the longtime, married lover of Nova Bordelon on Queen Sugar.—
Mekishana Pierre,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
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The cable network recently went in search for the best spots for plant lovers in the United States — showcasing a single garden per state.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
6 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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