Synonyms of foolhardy

foolhardy

adjective

ˈfül-ˌhär-dē 

1

as in reckless

foolishly adventurous or bold

hikers who were foolhardy enough to remain on the summit during a thunderstorm

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reckless
• courageous
• brave
• daredevil
• adventurous
• daring
• overconfident
• audacious
• foolish
• heroic
• fearless
• impulsive
• brash
• madcap
• careless
• gallant
• temerarious
• overbold
• valiant
• imprudent
• intrepid
• undaunted
• dauntless
• venturous
• impetuous
• venturesome
• adventuresome
• hardy
• valorous
• gutsy
• rash
• incautious
• thoughtless
• bold
• hotheaded
• hasty
• heedless
• stalwart
• manful
• stouthearted
• harebrained
• stout
• scatterbrained
• headlong
• lionhearted
• brainless
• undauntable
• doughty
• greathearted
• precipitate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• prudent
• careful
• cautious
• safe
• wary
• circumspect
• guarded
• timid
• heedful
• fearful
• unambitious
• scary
• unadventurous
• timorous
• sensible
• shy
• fainthearted
• skittish
• cool
• calm
• intelligent
• mousy
• levelheaded
• alert
• cowardly
• sharp
• pusillanimous
• yellow
• craven
• dastardly
• unheroic
• spineless
• recreant
• quick-witted
• chicken
• chickenhearted
• lily-livered

2

as in daring

having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions

it's foolhardy to go hiking during late fall without warm clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reckless
• daring
• daredevil
• irresponsible
• adventurous
• bold
• careless
• nonchalant
• harum-scarum
• kamikaze
• impetuous
• hell-for-leather
• wild
• audacious
• hasty
• devil-may-care
• rash
• venturesome
• headlong
• hotheaded
• carefree
• madcap
• thoughtless
• incautious
• heedless
• unconcerned
• feckless
• regardless
• precipitate
• inattentive
• unmindful
• blithe
• unthinking
• inconsiderate
• unworried
• mindless
• unheeding
• freewheeling
• slaphappy
• happy-go-lucky

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• responsible
• cautious
• careful
• circumspect
• timid
• heedful
• overcautious
• overcareful

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective foolhardy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of foolhardy are adventurous, daredevil, daring, rash, reckless, and venturesome. While all these words mean "exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense," foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Where would adventurous be a reasonable alternative to foolhardy?

The meanings of adventurous and foolhardy largely overlap; however, adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

When is daredevil a more appropriate choice than foolhardy?

The words daredevil and foolhardy can be used in similar contexts, but daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

When would daring be a good substitute for foolhardy?

The words daring and foolhardy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

When might rash be a better fit than foolhardy?

In some situations, the words rash and foolhardy are roughly equivalent. However, rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

When can reckless be used instead of foolhardy?

While in some cases nearly identical to foolhardy, reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

When is it sensible to use venturesome instead of foolhardy?

While the synonyms venturesome and foolhardy are close in meaning, venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of foolhardy

The filmmaker’s passion for foolhardy underdogs and train-wreck charmers electrifies this tale of a postwar striver (an unbelievable Timothée Chalamet) trying to make his name in table tennis. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2025

Instead, the town has been put under military quarantine, occupied by the same foolhardy industrial complex that started this whole mess in the first place. —Alison Herman, Variety, 27 Nov. 2025

There is another reason why lifting the deposit insurance limits is foolhardy. —Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 29 Oct. 2025

In Pynchon’s best works, his bleakness is brightened, in both senses—illuminated and made lighter—by the sweep of his vision and his affection for his fallible, foolhardy, well-meaning, wildly outmatched main characters. —Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025