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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for 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
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
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
Noun
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Moving forward with the same, non-competitive formula would meet the definition of insanity.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
26 May 2026
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Considering these economic anxieties, allocating nearly one-third of the state budget to defense might seem like insanity.—
Anna Nemtsova,
Time,
23 May 2026
Noun
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That’s the prayerful explanation for the nonsense that spouted this week from the leaders of a football conference that hopes to grow up and be the Big Ten someday.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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Let’s see if the Pomona Unified School District, which pays thousands of dollars to support its schools’ athletic program, is going to act and stop this nonsense.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Noun
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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.—
Lee Hutchinson,
ArsTechnica,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Russian madness truly knows no bounds, so please protect your lives.—
Robert McGreevy , Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
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My ideal version is bringing a book and eating my Mixue ice cream out there for twenty minutes before heading back into the madness.—
Shivani Vora,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Noun
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Nobody doggedly builds a stand-up career that takes them from clubs to theaters to selling out arena tours from a foundation of genuine stupidity.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
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And not just because one of the leading contestants torched himself and his political livelihood in a bonfire of hubris and stupidity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The Italian Leather Lug Sole Fisherman Sandals, however, boast a visible arch contour, a midsole thickness, adjustable straps, and shock-absorbing ortholite insoles—all of which are reasons why both podiatrists approve.—
Olivia Cigliano,
InStyle,
29 May 2026
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The Oura Ring 5 is 40% smaller overall than its predecessor, bringing its size and thickness more in line with an ordinary wedding band.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
Noun
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The Council’s approach is built around speed, simplicity, and state control.—
Monica Sanders,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
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Captain Nick Suzuki spoke after an 8-3 loss in Game 6 against the Buffalo Sabres in the second round about how the special atmosphere in the building forces his young team into trying to do too much, getting away from the simplicity of their game that more often leads to success in the playoffs.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
25 May 2026
Noun
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Pratchett’s gift was to blend deep philosophy and complete silliness.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
24 May 2026
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Stop the doomscrolling and embrace some baseball silliness.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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