1
as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
the foolishness of going off to search for the fountain of youth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
couldn't listen to another second of their foolishness, so I told them to be quiet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stupidness
the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind
you didn't fail the test because of any innate foolishness but because of a lack of preparation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foolishness
The captain of the boat Zoë and Sarah came on watches them from afar, shaking his head at English foolishness.
—
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
For this exercise in bravery – foolishness might be the better word – we were rewarded with a few small perch in about four hours of fishing.
—Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2025
Advertisement With apt timing, manner, and physicality, DiCaprio translates Bob’s foolishness into a dazzling comedic show.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Yet for all of his stoned foolishness, Bob has clearly imparted a real distrust of authority to his kid.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
For this exercise in bravery – foolishness might be the better word – we were rewarded with a few small perch in about four hours of fishing.
—Brad Dokken, Twin Cities, 22 Nov. 2025
Advertisement With apt timing, manner, and physicality, DiCaprio translates Bob’s foolishness into a dazzling comedic show.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Yet for all of his stoned foolishness, Bob has clearly imparted a real distrust of authority to his kid.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
Noun
-
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.—
Mary Ramsey
April 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Clancy will be undergoing a forensic psychological evaluation later this week after Reddington informed the court of her intention to plead not guilty by reason of insanity at trial.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With Sporting well aware of their underdog status and Arsenal feeling fragile after successive defeats, all of this respect nonsense led to, frankly, a dog of a game that felt like anything but a Champions League quarter-final.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
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And thus one of the more wholesome and fun events in the White House calendar was besmirched by a man who simply cannot stop with the zero-sum partisan nonsense even when surrounded by impressionable young faces.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The UConn men and women have created countless memories through the madness of March and onto the championships won in April.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Monthly records for the state go back to 1895, so experts know there's a lot to March's madness.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If not for the stupidity of Joe Biden and the Democrats, ICE would have an easier job.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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Smart, skilled, hardworking people gracefully put up with all manner of tragedy, stupidity, and institutional rot.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Other considerations include matching the frame to your mattress’s thickness and leaving about 24 inches of walking space around the bed.—
Sharon Brandwein,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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This technique enables precise control over the coating thickness and uniformity, potentially improving performance while reducing material usage and production costs.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Their simplicity in dress masks their tremendous success.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
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On one hand, there’s a simplicity to the song, and yet there’s a lot of complex things going on behind it.—
Steve Appleford,
SPIN,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My mom’s silliness, her humanness, her imperfections seemed to disappear in the process of repeatedly writing about her struggles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Apr. 2026
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Audiences can take in two shows, with lots of silliness and some heart.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Compare that to punk rock, which used dumbness as a tactic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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