foolhardiness

noun

Definition of foolhardinessnext
as in recklessness

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolhardiness
  1. recklessness
  2. rashness
  3. carelessness
  4. wildness
  5. negligence
Noun
  • Catherine’s story line evokes a feverish what-if scenario in which a survivor musters the requisite recklessness, talent for murder, and wig collection to mete out retribution.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 30 July 2026
  • In humans, traits such as neuroticism and recklessness appear to have some evolutionary basis—emerging perhaps to provide our species with sentries who alerted us to threats, and with explorers who led the way to new food sources.
    — Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 28 July 2026
Definition of recklessness
Noun
  • And yet, Washington responded to Genet not with rashness and bravado but with restraint made public law.
    — Maurizio Valsania, The Conversation, 9 Jan. 2026
  • His audacity and her rashness might surprise some.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
Definition of rashness
Noun
  • Some of those losses stemmed from carelessness, with his supreme confidence occasionally straying into casualness.
    — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Once, administrators confronted him about the carelessness of his grading.
    — Peter Hessler, New Yorker, 31 May 2026
Definition of carelessness
Noun
  • That connection to the wildness of the lake can’t help but change you, Schatz says, and at some point becomes more than a visual touchstone.
    — Gina Grillo, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026
  • There was a wildness in it, something animal that had slipped free.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 25 July 2026
Definition of wildness
Noun
  • Most of the negligence cases involved farm work carried out despite local bans, including welding.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles last fall sued SoCal Edison alleging the company’s negligence caused the Eaton Fire and another blaze, seeking to recover tens of millions of dollars in damage to thousands of acres of Angeles National Forest Land.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of negligence
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.

Browse Nearby Words

foolhardily
foolhardiness
foolhardy
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foolhardiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolhardiness. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on foolhardiness

Nglish: Translation of foolhardiness for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All