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
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
Advertisement With apt timing, manner, and physicality, DiCaprio translates Bob’s foolishness into a dazzling comedic show.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
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
Advertisement With apt timing, manner, and physicality, DiCaprio translates Bob’s foolishness into a dazzling comedic show.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
Noun
-
The chaotic family life was cited when Cary Stayner pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the tourists’ murders; he was found mentally fit to stand trial.—
Bay Area News Group,
Mercury News,
4 May 2026
-
Call it a runner's high or insanity; the marathon takes just about everything a person can muster up physically and mentally.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And Bianco’s rhetoric about forcing changes in state law enforcement — especially on immigration — without the cooperation of Democratic supermajorities in the Legislature is authoritarian nonsense.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
There’s still all this nonsense about the temptation of the female body, and the need for nuns to shield themselves from prying eyes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
As artists are wont to do, the two descend into … madness?—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
-
This time, of course, Rodgers is the one responsible for the melodrama, albeit a far tamer manifestation of it than the madness Favre generated in his final days in Green Bay.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
That men like Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are entrusted with businesses of tectonic influence can be difficult to understand, but their cults of personality have been able to survive scrutiny, perhaps because the money itself is too imposing a firewall for their own stupidity to penetrate.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Eric Swalwell, a prominent Democratic House member and a front-runner in the race for California governor, had his political career blown up by allegations of degeneracy and abject stupidity.—
Michelle Cottle,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Working in batches, add 2 meatballs to skillet; flatten each to 1/4-inch thickness using a wide sturdy spatula.—
Jasmine Smith,
Southern Living,
9 May 2026
-
By the Second World War, the steel alloys had improved in composition, metal fabrication methods made armor more homogeneous, and the thickness was increased to create much tougher plating.—
David Szondy
May 07,
New Atlas,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
The simplicity of LaceLocker® also remains central to its appeal.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The fresh flip-flop offerings prove that simplicity need not be sacrificed for stylishness, and that all-day comfiness should most certainly not take a back seat to a head-turning summertime aesthetic.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Commentors, of course, had a mixed bag of reactions, ranging from arguing that Kelce is the Duchess of Delco to criticizing the governor's silliness.—
Kaitlyn McCormick,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Yet there’s wisdom amid the silliness, as the story gently makes a case for the necessity of grief, mindfulness and mortal awareness, even in a life otherwise unburdened by adult human responsibility.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Compare that to punk rock, which used dumbness as a tactic.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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