Synonyms of foolishness

foolishness

noun

ˈfü-lish-nəs 

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

• insanity
• madness
• simplicity
• absurdity
• craziness
• unwisdom
• fatuousness
• folly
• silliness
• daftness
• stupidness
• imbecility
• wackiness
• inanity
• preposterousness
• stupidity
• zaniness
• witlessness
• lunacy
• nuttiness
• dottiness
• senselessness
• brainlessness
• idiocy
• fatuity
• asininity
• nonsensicalness
• balminess
• obtuseness
• dumbness
• simpleness
• dippiness
• slowness
• dullness
• irrationality
• simplemindedness
• unreasonableness
• mindlessness
• feeblemindedness
• ridiculousness
• oafishness
• dopiness
• denseness
• fallacy
• doltishness
• weirdness
• kookiness
• vacuity
• ludicrousness
• gormlessness
• dim-wittedness
• laughableness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wisdom
• prudence
• sagacity
• sanity
• soundness
• rationality
• validity
• sapience
• reasonableness
• sensibleness
• reasonability
• insight
• perception
• logicality
• sagaciousness
• discernment
• sageness
• logicalness
• rationalness
• percipience

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

• nonsense
• stupidity
• silliness
• garbage
• nuts
• rubbish
• blah
• absurdity
• drool
• craziness
• insanity
• absurdness
• madness
• jazz
• muck
• bunk
• folly
• hogwash
• trash
• rot
• claptrap
• twaddle
• balderdash
• hokum
• trumpery
• baloney
• bunkum
• guff
• punk
• poppycock
• humbuggery
• malarkey
• beans
• piffle
• blither
• bull
• hooey
• bilge
• flapdoodle
• tommyrot
• folderol
• crock
• senselessness
• idiocy
• fudge
• blatherskite
• fiddle
• drivel
• fiddlesticks
• tosh
• blather
• bosh
• codswallop
• hokeypokey
• blarney
• nerts
• humbug
• applesauce
• crapola
• taradiddle
• fiddle-faddle
• horsefeathers
• hoodoo
• moonshine
• imbecility
• inanity
• foolery
• kookiness
• tomfoolery
• flannel
• lunacy
• slush
• witlessness
• fatuity
• asininity
• inaneness
• rigmarole
• greek
• gas
• monkey business
• shenanigan(s)
• hocus-pocus
• double-talk
• hot air
• monkeyshine(s)
• hoity-toity

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rationality
• reasonableness
• sense
• common sense
• sensibleness
• wisdom
• judgment
• reasonability
• levelheadedness
• horse sense
• discernment

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

• stupidness
• stupidity
• thickness
• dumbness
• obtuseness
• slowness
• dullness
• mindlessness
• insanity
• boneheadedness
• weak-mindedness
• oafishness
• witlessness
• density
• dorkiness
• dopiness
• denseness
• doltishness
• brainlessness
• senselessness
• fatuity
• simpleness
• simplicity
• gormlessness
• idiocy
• madness
• vacuity
• absurdity
• craziness
• simplemindedness
• feeblemindedness
• dim-wittedness
• fatuousness
• irrationality
• daftness
• silliness
• folly
• unreasonableness
• wackiness
• inanity
• preposterousness
• zaniness
• lunacy
• nuttiness
• dottiness
• fallacy
• inaneness
• asininity
• nincompoopery
• nonsensicalness
• dippiness
• balminess
• mental retardation
• mental deficiency

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• intelligence
• brilliance
• cleverness
• brightness
• smartness
• quickness
• judgment
• insight
• perception
• keenness
• discernment
• acumen
• astuteness
• sharpness
• perspicacity
• wisdom
• alertness
• sagacity
• wit
• braininess
• quick-wittedness
• rationality
• validity
• reasonableness
• percipience
• soundness
• sapience
• sageness
• logicality
• logicalness
• rationalness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of foolishness

Still, foolishness can sometimes bring good results; there are good results here, and some less than good. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

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