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
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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
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foolishness
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
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
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
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
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
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
Noun
-
Initially, in 2019, Atkins pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but in 2021, he was found mentally competent to stand trial.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
Dominguez also pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to attempted murder in connection with Guillory’s attack.—
Darrell Smith
June 8,
Sacbee.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
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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The four-night FIFA-centric experience, which takes place from July 16–21, gives six guests the chance to escape from the FIFA madness in the largest hotel penthouse suite in the US, which spans the entirety of The Mark's top two floors.—
Hannah Chubb,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 June 2026
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Shea Langeliers sent a shot 483 feet in the first sign of the madness to come in a 15-14, 12-inning game that introduced the city to its eventual MLB club.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Don’t just try to be brilliant; focus on avoiding stupidity.—
Nilton Bernini,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
-
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
Noun
-
If thickness varies greatly, pound to an even thickness of about 1/2 inch.—
Emily Weinstein,
Twin Cities,
4 June 2026
-
Once your hair is fully coated in the product, section it into two parts (or more, depending on your hair's thickness and density).—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
But despite their simplicity, the style leaves plenty of room for personalization.—
Omenaa Boakye,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
-
Soccer derives its beauty from its simplicity.—
Leander Schaerlaeckens
June 8,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
On one hand, this is silliness; Swift barely even lived here.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
8 June 2026
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Yet, away from the court, these two personify the best qualities of friendship and the silliness that comes with it.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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