1
as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
the foolishness of going off to search for the fountain of youth
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 foolishness
To stratify the 400-song catalog of Carole King, let alone choose her shiniest song, is an exercise in foolishness.
—
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
This season Fears has shown both the maturity of the player who came back to discuss his actions with his head coach, and the foolishness of the hothead who responded with the hard foul.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Don’t be afraid of the foolishness.
—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
Navarro devoted a chapter to the seductive foolishness of protectionist trade policies.
—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2026
This season Fears has shown both the maturity of the player who came back to discuss his actions with his head coach, and the foolishness of the hothead who responded with the hard foul.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
19 Mar. 2026
Don’t be afraid of the foolishness.
—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2026
Navarro devoted a chapter to the seductive foolishness of protectionist trade policies.
—
Ian Parker,
New Yorker,
22 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
Noun
-
Bland was obsessed with religion, but that did not amount to insanity, the prosecutor argued.
-
Part of what drew him to the case, Burton said, was that many of the issues relevant then are still relevant today, like the death penalty, the use of the insanity defense, parole and rehabilitation.
Noun
-
Not only is that nonsense, but Israel took this into account.
-
Get outta here with that nonsense.
Noun
-
In an email to Krebs, Valadon claimed that the repo’s commit logs show that GitHub’s default protections against committing secrets—protections designed to protect unwitting or unskilled developers against exactly this kind of stupidness—had been disabled by the repo’s administrator.
Noun
-
Is this just a salary dump, or is there a method to the madness for the Wolves?
-
Welcome to the Amazon Prime Day 2026 madness!
Noun
-
Final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way.
-
Don’t just try to be brilliant; focus on avoiding stupidity.
Noun
-
There wasn't much left to shave off with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, because when unfolded, one panel is as thick as the USB-C port, which acts as the phone's hard stop on thickness.
-
Because of the length and lack of thickness, my hair often lacks volume and is quickly weighed down shortly after styling.
Noun
-
Light and Breezy One of the many virtues of the ’60s shift is its simplicity.
-
The collection expressed an idea of contemporary simplicity, built through precise proportions, evolved materials and a new visual lightness.
Noun
-
Is now the time for the industry to take the silliness seriously?
-
But what pushed the situation from the realm of silliness to sinister was a US operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their home in Caracas on January 3, 2026.
Cite this Entry
“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
