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 problem is not the companies but the system, whose foolishness is very clear to those, like me, who have spent decades abroad.
—
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
The Lakers were, again, the Lakers — the version from early this season that made optimism seem nothing like foolishness.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
For instance, there is only a tiny difference between stubbornness and perseverance or between courage and foolishness.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 21 Oct. 2024
There is a cacophony of foolishness being spouted by those advocating for the EV transition and by those denouncing it.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
The Lakers were, again, the Lakers — the version from early this season that made optimism seem nothing like foolishness.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
For instance, there is only a tiny difference between stubbornness and perseverance or between courage and foolishness.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 21 Oct. 2024
There is a cacophony of foolishness being spouted by those advocating for the EV transition and by those denouncing it.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
Noun
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As part of an agreement between defense and prosecuting attorneys, 35-year-old Bryson Levy was found not guilty by reason of insanity on Feb. 4.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
9 May 2025
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Dominguez has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to the stabbings two years ago that killed David Breaux, 50, and Karim Abou Najm, 20, as well as the near-fatal attack on Guillory.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2025
Noun
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Everyone will be there — except Lydia, who Joseph dispatches on a nonsense errand to D.C.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2025
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The sequel has more glamour, more trouble and maybe a bit too much nonsense 1 Comments The first Simple Favor, from 2018, was a playful, shallow mystery most notable for casting the lovely, languid Blake Lively as a cynical, devious clothes horse named Emily Nelson.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And, last weekend, in the midst of Met Gala madness, the four iconic artist-entrepreneurs were reunited at the show’s 20th anniversary.—
India Espy-Jones,
Essence,
14 May 2025
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In some Asian and Middle Eastern traditions, dementia was historically associated with madness or idiocy.—
Marion Renault,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2025
Noun
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Tiny terror is unleashed in this mini alien apocalypse as directors Robert Bisi and Andy Lyon pay loving tribute to classic sci-fi stories of alien invasion and human stupidity using tilt-shift techniques that make the end of the world look almost cute.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
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Wodehouse had displayed nothing worse than the stupidity of the innocent.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Depending on the steel's thickness, a loop can stretch up to tens of thousands of feet, Modesitt said.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
7 May 2025
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The video compares the dummy of the 17 Air to the current iPhone 16 Pro, and the difference in thickness is striking — and the difference will be even more pronounced if rumors about the iPhone 17 Pro Max design prove true.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
5 May 2025
Noun
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The simplicity of pressure washing leads many to dismiss it as a side hustle rather than a scalable business.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
3 May 2025
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For minimalist interior designers, there’s beauty in simplicity and restraint.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Part of what makes Robinson’s Netflix show so consistently hilarious is the way his characters double down on the wrong reaction, turn minor fixations into all-consuming obsessions, escalate their anger to overthrow a situation’s over-the-top absurdity.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 May 2025
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Travel & Experiences First look: Universal’s Epic Universe gives Disney theme parks a run for their money April 9, 2025 There’s occasionally an absurdity in interactive fiction.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2025
Noun
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Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
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Without that pollination, almond trees produce only 200 pounds of nuts per acre.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
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