1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
investing in that company now would be foolery
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2
as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
let the kids have a little foolery once in a while
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Recent Examples of foolery
Eric Andre, Tyler the Creator and Machine Gun Kelly all drop by to participate in the Jack-foolery.
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David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2022
The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.
—New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022
Political pranking is traditionally thought of as benign foolery targeting the powerful.
—Stanislav Budnitsky, The Conversation, 19 Apr. 2022
Our magpie eyes will always be drawn to foolery and ephemera.
—Giles Hattersley, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2021
Once every ten years, the first of April assumes a far more significant importance than the annual sharing of April foolery.
—James Deutsch, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2020
All the organs of his body were working — bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming — all toiling away in solemn foolery.
—John Hirschauer, National Review, 17 Sep. 2019
In memory, during that long-ago evening on the edge of the woods, even my young children were drawn into its whirligig of shipwrecks, twins in disguise, misread letters, wise foolery and foolish wisdom.
—Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019
Elsewhere, the lack of physicality that muted the foolery also seemed a factor affecting many actors’ deliveries.
—Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2022
The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.
—New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022
Political pranking is traditionally thought of as benign foolery targeting the powerful.
—Stanislav Budnitsky, The Conversation, 19 Apr. 2022
Our magpie eyes will always be drawn to foolery and ephemera.
—Giles Hattersley, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2021
Once every ten years, the first of April assumes a far more significant importance than the annual sharing of April foolery.
—James Deutsch, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2020
All the organs of his body were working — bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming — all toiling away in solemn foolery.
—John Hirschauer, National Review, 17 Sep. 2019
In memory, during that long-ago evening on the edge of the woods, even my young children were drawn into its whirligig of shipwrecks, twins in disguise, misread letters, wise foolery and foolish wisdom.
—Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019
Elsewhere, the lack of physicality that muted the foolery also seemed a factor affecting many actors’ deliveries.
—Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolery
Noun
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Cutting Medicare is insanity, especially with our high elderly population.Juan J. Arroyo, Rolling Stone, 24 Nov. 2024
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Everyone else gets to turn off the TV and forget about politics, which has reached this next-level, dark insanity.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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This sweet 1978-82 CBS sitcom had plenty of workplace comedic tomfoolery, but none was more shocking and hilarious than the ending of this absurd Thanksgiving story.Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
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But hey, at least her particular brand of right-wing tomfoolery isn’t headed down under.Abby Monteil, Them, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Many have judged both him and us based on accusations, conspiracy theories, and false narratives that have spiraled into absurdity on social media.Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2024
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Brought to life through campy, surrealist sets and unforgettable cameos, the show takes the viewer through a series of dreamlike vignettes that brilliantly articulate the absurdity and tedium of life under late-capitalism.Samantha Allen, Them, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Famously, Tommy Lee Jones could not sanction Jim Carrey’s buffoonery on Batman Forever.Bethy Squires, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2024
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But conservatism ought not to be equated with populist buffoonery and mendacity.Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 14 Oct. 2024
Noun
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That may seem like replacing plastic in your house with solid gold, but there's method in this seeming madness – as well as the promise of not only more advanced computers, but ones that work more efficiently and can even operate in high-temperature environments that make modern chips very unhappy.New Atlas, New Atlas, 30 Nov. 2024
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But misinformation still looms large, and the threat of the madness lingers on.Barry Levitt, TIME, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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On my gondola, however, horseplay is not only encouraged, it is required.Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 24 Sep. 2024
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Prosecutors allege Alec Baldwin engaged in ‘horseplay’ and acted recklessly on ‘Rust’ set.Colleen Shalby, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2024
Noun
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Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.Vulture, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2022
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The Winx Club live action is a big clownery!Olivia Truffaut-Wong, refinery29.com, 25 Jan. 2021
Noun
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The slapstick comedy showcased his deadpan chops after beginning his career being considered a dramatic star.Jordan Moreau, Variety, 26 Nov. 2024
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Even a black-and-white, near-silent slapstick comedy about a 19th-century trapper battling beavers.Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 19 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near foolery
Cite this Entry
“Foolery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolery. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
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