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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 limited series feels equally foolish, down to its last line of narration.
—
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
The residents of Maryland are now left to bear the burden of these foolish ideas through outrageously high utility bills.
—Jason Buckel, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2026
Prager, meanwhile, has continued to stay hungry and foolish.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Ingoglia has flatly ignored the way the state’s $117 billion budget keeps swelling, or the millions that DeSantis has wasted in foolish political stunts.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Ben Travers, IndieWire, 18 Mar. 2026
The residents of Maryland are now left to bear the burden of these foolish ideas through outrageously high utility bills.
—Jason Buckel, Baltimore Sun, 17 Mar. 2026
Prager, meanwhile, has continued to stay hungry and foolish.
—Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, Ingoglia has flatly ignored the way the state’s $117 billion budget keeps swelling, or the millions that DeSantis has wasted in foolish political stunts.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolish
Adjective
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Of course, sometimes the situation is more serious than stupid.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
31 Mar. 2026
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The American people are not stupid and will not accept more failure theater from Republicans in Congress.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This series is inspired by the shocking and absurd true story of the suburban dentist who built a drug empire behind the façade of the American dream.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
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To consider Karaban as anything but an abject success story is absurd.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The cab’s dark interior seems to lure Rauschenberg in, but perhaps he was also drawn to the small round window, like a porthole, above the seat, which looks out at the distance behind the carriage.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
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Consider reshuffling your to-do list, because a small shift could save money and protect your energy.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The group never uses the word unless there is something silly going on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
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For Grabinski, what unites all of these projects is the fine art of creating a world that is emotionally smart yet deeply silly, fun, and expressive.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The troubled production resulted in a bizarre cyberpunk schlock-flick that felt far removed from what most fans understood Mario to be.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
5 Apr. 2026
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Since the border is not straight but snakes along old county lines, some of the journey was bizarre.—
Colm Tóibín,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, at home, small appliances might break down or a minor breakage could occur.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
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The restaurant became a minor sensation—the titular dish is terrific, silken and subtle and rich, but what most stood out was a rotating lineup of specials, mostly hawker-style Malaysian fare, particularly the food of Klang, his parents’ home town, on Malaysia’s western coast.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Auriemma was also mad that Staley did not participate in the traditional Final Four handshake before the game after the coaches were announced, though Staley had shaken his hand earlier.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
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How to break the car rental rage cycle Don't get mad.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This is not your $65,000-a-year job, someone who’s a janitor and is trying to talk in a school board meeting who really could lose his job for this opinion, which is insane.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
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Three years after Steven Yeun and Ali Wong captured the attention of viewers eager to see the culmination of their characters' insane road rage fight, the drama series is back, this time focusing on two couples with a new kind of beef.—
Madeleine Janz,
PEOPLE,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolish. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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