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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fool
Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 2026
The Secret Fool-Proof Method That Works Every Time My mom says that the first step of her fool-proof method is grabbing your bath rugs, shower curtain, and liner, and tossing them into the washer immediately.
—Aliyah Rodriguez, The Spruce, 27 May 2026
Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 27 May 2026
Don't be fooled by the rocks that she's got.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fool
Noun
Smash-and-grab, opportunistic cheese theft is a fool’s errand.
—Olivia Potts, Longreads, 28 May 2026
The Secret Fool-Proof Method That Works Every Time My mom says that the first step of her fool-proof method is grabbing your bath rugs, shower curtain, and liner, and tossing them into the washer immediately.
—Aliyah Rodriguez, The Spruce, 27 May 2026
Verb
Iwamasa fooled their family, Madeline Morrison wrote.
—Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 27 May 2026
Don't be fooled by the rocks that she's got.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
-
Mark Hamill has been a lunatic for years now.—
Zach Dean OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
-
To get a sentence like that in a communist, radically left-wing city of liberal lunatics is truly amazing.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Grotesque sea hags, killer clowns, demonic self-help books and more plague the town and its mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
His near-daily press conferences are just part of a traveling, partisan clown show.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Details such as the relatively few suckers on its arms, its smooth skin, beak features and the coloring around its organs and parts of the mantle indicated a new species, now called Microeledone galapagensis.—
Jeanna Bryner,
Scientific American,
24 May 2026
-
Trimming the suckers, from the first 2 feet above the ground, ensures the plant's energy is focused on the main vines and cucumbers, says Scott.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
If the target was foolish enough to reuse passwords, credential thefts like these could enable the compromise of more important accounts.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
3 June 2026
-
Backing the Cubs right now seems foolish.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said during a news conference that the company suppressed internal safety warnings and deceived users about the true nature and dangers of the product.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
Yet while Hiller has been seemingly everywhere on TV lately, appearances in this industry can be deceiving.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2026
Verb
-
Kimmel joked on his June 2 show, referring to the wave of artists dropping out of the Great American State Fair.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Now, there is hard, physical proof of our years of collaboration—not a third child, as some have joked, but not not some kind of offspring.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Colman Domingo wore a colorful custom Valentino look based on the house's harlequin motif.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
-
Common Pests and Diseases Broccoli plants can be damaged by common insect pests, like caterpillars, aphids, flea beetles, and harlequin bugs, says Minter.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The apartment has original hardwood floors, which set the stage for thoughtful modern and vintage furniture; a fiddle leaf fig tree as well as other touches of real plant life on the interior and exterior add to the garden district location to make this stay a plant lover’s haven.—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
30 May 2026
-
Outdoor exercise lovers will want to snap up this $14 skort to stay cool while playing pickleball or going for a walk.—
Madeline Merinuk,
PEOPLE,
30 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
