1
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
foolish people who thought that the world would end in the year 2000 a foolish scheme that was supposed to make us all rich
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
foolish attempts to construct a perpetual motion machine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in small
lacking importance
the current regulations are cluttered with foolish details that are unnecessarily burdensome
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foolish
The point is extrapolating anything from the NFL in September is foolish.
—
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
But giving someone as historically great as Derrick Henry added motivation, certainly may prove to be a foolish decision from Delpit.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
There’s highly capable support in the cast from the unfailingly superb Vázquez, emanating gravitas, humanity and barely contained anger at the increasing frequency and spread of wildfires and the foolish refusal of those in power to address the growing threat.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Grace can be a frustrating protagonist, making foolish, self-sabotaging decisions in pursuit of fleeting pleasure and conditional approval from guys who, frankly, aren’t worth her time.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 12 Sep. 2025
But giving someone as historically great as Derrick Henry added motivation, certainly may prove to be a foolish decision from Delpit.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
There’s highly capable support in the cast from the unfailingly superb Vázquez, emanating gravitas, humanity and barely contained anger at the increasing frequency and spread of wildfires and the foolish refusal of those in power to address the growing threat.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2025
Grace can be a frustrating protagonist, making foolish, self-sabotaging decisions in pursuit of fleeting pleasure and conditional approval from guys who, frankly, aren’t worth her time.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolish
Adjective
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The name-calling and the stupid AI and the imagery has got to stop.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Sep. 2025
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These kids are being stupid and absurd and reckless and not thinking about anything other than what’s directly in front of their faces.—
Will Leitch,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This aspect will always cast her apart, even today, in the sense that a woman’s naked body is still perceived by audiences as something that stands out for some absurd reason, unfortunately.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
2 Oct. 2025
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Their vote to shut down the government is absurd.—
Caroline Neal,
Louisville Courier Journal,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
By a rough count, Flagg played in approximately six different lineups, including some small-ball looks with Dwight Powell at center.—
Lawrence Dow,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Oct. 2025
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While there is acknowledgement that smaller teams, such as Norway’s Valarenga, could be on the receiving end of heavy defeats with the shift in format, the benefits of seeing top seeds clash early in the competition mean more overall interest.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Count Dracula remains a fixture in the horror genre, having been featured in movies that range from scary and sexy to silly and satirical.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Oct. 2025
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Anderson’s synthesis of all of these themes, motifs, and silly gags into One Battle After Another, which saw Anderson’s biggest movie opening ever last month, shows how Pynchon’s ideas have not only aged well but are more visible and relevant.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Tactically, the most notable feature of the final was how regularly the two goalkeepers found themselves in bizarre positions, rushing out to close down attackers in wide areas.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
5 Oct. 2025
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Shortly after the in-person meeting, Kacie bowed out in one of the most bizarre breakups ever shown.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Russell’s crash in 2023 showed that a minor mistake can wipe you off the podium.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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In susceptible people, the immune system reacts too strongly to minor exposures, creating chronic inflammation.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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My real friends know what happened, but Kurt’s fans, Courtney’s fans, and some of my own fans were mad at me.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
6 Oct. 2025
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Maybe, probably, the States were also mad at her.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Continue reading … ORWELL NIGHTMARE – Joe Rogan blasts 'insane' media silence on arrests for social media posts.—
,
FOXNews.com,
2 Oct. 2025
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The queen greeted this insane question with a politely regal stare, ignored my faux pas, and continued talking about financial inclusion.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolish. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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