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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

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.
Recent Examples of foolhardy But to predict an outcome in a match of this significance, with players in such impeccable form, would be foolhardy. Corey Seymour, Vogue, 11 July 2025 This seems foolhardy and seems misguided, mainly because there is a perception among a handful of people that this is somehow a blue or a left wing thing when this is the place that for 32 years gave William F. Buckley a show. CBS News, 6 July 2025 But while Martinez no longer is CPS CEO, that’s a foolhardy assumption so long as that pension fund solely is the city’s legal responsibility. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 2 July 2025 An empathy gap is obvious in online commenters who suggest, for example, that flood victims earned their fate through the foolhardy choice to live near water, that earthquake victims shouldn’t have lived near fault lines, and so on. Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for foolhardy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolhardy
Adjective
  • For instance, an officer or insurance adjuster might claim your lack of footwear contributed to reckless or careless driving, and the matter could even be brought up in court or during an insurance review.
    Georgea Kovanis, The Courier-Journal, 3 Sep. 2025
  • Set in 1968 suburbia, Father of Us follows five siblings caught between their magnetic but reckless father and their radiant but overwhelmed mother.
    Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The novel isn’t still, either, throwing us into a fast-paced, daring, but tender investigation into the role of ambition in art.
    Eliana Ramage September 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
  • As described in a press release, CAOS is the singer’s most daring and intimate body of work yet.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • While courageous, essentially relaunching a core strategy would be a terrifying feat for a leader in any arena.
    Dilan Gomih, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
  • The importance of courageous, firm, honest leadership was reconfirmed.
    Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have returned to the streets demanding a brave leadership.
    Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
  • So carefree, fearless, brave and radiant.
    Staff Author, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Rounded plastic equipment prevents potential scraps and presumably is meant to prevent daredevil kids from climbing on top of slide tunnels or jungle gym towers.
    Carrie Lukas, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025
  • When Francis Ford Coppola finally went into production on Megalopolis, the project carried the weight of decades of anticipation and the air of a high-wire act undertaken by a beloved, daredevil octogenarian.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The adventurous archaeologist travels the globe looking for missing artifacts and historical treasures.
    Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • For something more adventurous, Smyril Line runs a weekly ferry between Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland.
    David Nikel, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Foolhardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolhardy. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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