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
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
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
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Recent Examples of fool
Maya Silver, Outside Online, 2 May 2025
Don't let the small, lightweight design fool you – this portable Bluetooth speaker produces a big and loud sound with an impressive 131-foot wireless range.
—Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025
But with the teams skating four-on-four near the midway point of the first, Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo ripped a slap shot from just inside the blue line that fooled Gustavsson between the knees.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Noun
And don’t let a crowded trailhead fool you—hike for more than 15 minutes and trail traffic usually thins if not disappears.
—Maya Silver, Outside Online, 2 May 2025
Don't let the small, lightweight design fool you – this portable Bluetooth speaker produces a big and loud sound with an impressive 131-foot wireless range.
—Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025
Verb
Related article The husband-and-wife forgers who fooled the art market — and made millions
The team was focused not only on thefts, from homes, galleries or archeological sites, but also forgery and trafficking rings.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 27 Apr. 2025
But with the teams skating four-on-four near the midway point of the first, Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo ripped a slap shot from just inside the blue line that fooled Gustavsson between the knees.
—Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
-
In the ‘30s and ‘40s, there were all these clowns trying to sell things, and then there was Krinkles the Clown trying to sell cereal [in the ‘50s].—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2025
-
Matthew Davies, 41, was taken into custody on suspicion of assaulting a man with a glass bottle while dressed up as a clown on Oct. 31, 2018, according to a news release issued by the department.—
Vincent Moleski,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
-
The Vulcan system consists of a conventional robotic arm with a custom spatula-like appendage for poking into a shelf and a sucker for grabbing items to pull them out.—
Will Knight,
Wired News,
7 May 2025
-
At a time when the world seems increasingly divided into winners and losers, exploiters and suckers, Henry Johnson speaks with sardonic eloquence to our current moment in American life.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
And this is not a story of corporate greed run amok, because Walmart would be foolish to try to gouge its customers at a time when economic anxiety is high (more on that in a moment).—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
-
Peters said the training from Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology has helped credit union employees to better frame probing questions that will get a positive response without making members feel foolish.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
Verb
-
That hasn’t stopped Liverpool using him to distract and deceive opponents when free kicks are won, however.—
Gregg Evans,
New York Times,
8 May 2025
-
She was also found guilty of deceiving other officials about the man's identity.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 May 2025
Verb
-
Some users joked about how much time was spent deliberating over the name change.—
Jonathan Limehouse,
USA Today,
14 May 2025
-
The Kansas City Chiefs star joked to his brother Jason Kelce that he had been coerced into saying the number 13 — a nod to his girlfriend Taylor Swift’s lucky number — while discussing the week’s special guests, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Andrew Whitworth on Wednesday, May 14.—
Anna Lazarus Caplan,
People.com,
14 May 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
-
About 75 members of the group will perform in the coming week at three churches in Broward County before taking a summer break and then inviting fellow music lovers to audition in August.—
Lois K. Solomon,
Sun Sentinel,
13 May 2025
-
For the experienced sake lover, order Future With Farmer.—
Melinda Sheckells,
Forbes.com,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
Theories ranged from familial disputes and lone psychopaths to international espionage and money laundering involving Mossad and Saddam Hussein.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
5 May 2025
-
The basics remain the same: Four players take control of survivors attempting to escape a dingy hellhole, while a fifth takes the role of a roaming psychopath trying to kill them.—
Luke Winkie,
Vulture,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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