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
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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
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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
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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
Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Trying to control such speech or sanitize any possibility of offense, disagreement, or discomfort, will be a fool’s errand in a diverse democracy.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Don’t let that fool you, though.
—Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fool
Noun
Texans, on the whole, have broadly negative feelings about Democrats, and trying to win over Cornyn supporters may end up being a fool’s errand.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Trying to control such speech or sanitize any possibility of offense, disagreement, or discomfort, will be a fool’s errand in a diverse democracy.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Verb
Don’t be fooled by its straightforward overview of Short’s rise to showbiz mainstay through his eccentric, vaudevillian brand of comedy.
—Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Don’t let that fool you, though.
—Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 22 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
-
The woman’s one visible breast is, surprisingly, nearly flat, but her nipple is round and oversized and rosy, like a Christmas-tree ornament or a clown’s rubber nose.—
Naomi Fry,
New Yorker,
23 May 2026
-
Someone dressed up as a clown and made balloon animals for kids at the shelter.—
Pauline Bartolone,
NPR,
23 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
-
Backing the Cubs right now seems foolish.—
David Troy OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
-
By human standard, of course, animals can be unintentionally and surprisingly clumsy, delightfully awkward or laughingly foolish.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Verb
-
The strategists also warned a thin market, suddenly being moved by a large trader, can deceive the market’s outcome.—
Ananya Chetia,
CNBC,
25 May 2026
-
In 2023, Newsom announced California's landmark lawsuit against major oil companies, accusing them of deceiving the public about climate change and linking fossil fuel emissions to worsening heat waves, droughts and devastating wildfires.—
Kenny Choi,
CBS News,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
Others joked about returning to the Catholic Church after a lifetime of agnosticism and atheism.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
At SoxFest in January, Martin joked about having the longest tenure of any Sox player.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 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
-
But a pandemic-era program is helping to keep it afloat as inflation worsens, while also aiming to create a new generation of seafood lovers.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
23 May 2026
-
Our country may be heading into tougher economic times, but these music lovers plan to face them with brand new BottleRock hats on their heads, glasses of merlot in their hands and earfuls of the Backstreet Boys and Slightly Stoopid.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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