foolishness

noun

ˈfü-lish-nəs How to pronounce foolishness (audio)
Definition of foolishnessnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
  1. insanity
  2. nonsense
  3. stupidness
  4. madness
  5. stupidity
  6. thickness
  7. simplicity
  8. silliness
Noun
  • To put my whole psyche, insecurities, anecdotes, family, community, insanity out there in a show in this way.
    — Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 July 2026
  • Colt did not have any signs of insanity, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, Richards said.
    — Danya Gainor, CNN Money, 28 July 2026
Definition of insanity
Noun
  • Anyway, Cunningham faced a ton of nonsense from the onset, mainly from the crowd.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • No Instagram gimmicks, no fusion nonsense, just the best version of something that sounds simple but isn't.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
Definition of nonsense
Noun
  • 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
Definition of stupidness
Noun
  • Except none of it was true — and the real perpetrator behind the madness wasn’t who anyone suspected.
    — Katie Mather, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
  • Their win was a victory for method over the madness that always threatened to be Argentina’s undoing.
    — Oliver Kay, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of madness
Noun
  • That’s only made worse by the fact that it’s treated as some kind of grand betrayal rather than an impulsive act of youthful stupidity that will make for a good story one day.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
  • Condor, Newton and Hiraga do their best to make Max’s actions believable, but her stubborn stupidity eventually requires more suspension of belief than a highly vindictive shark prowling a freshwater cave right next to the ocean.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of stupidity
Noun
  • How Long to Grill Salmon Cooking time depends much more on thickness than weight.
    — Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Three of the four main tendons (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis tendons) had full-thickness tears.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Definition of thickness
Noun
  • Delicate Japanese simplicity prevails while leaving whispers of the original French palatial style—such as distinctive moldings that are unique to the building.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In general, higher-performing LED systems dominate the top of the ratings, while older halogen designs tend to cluster at the bottom, constrained by lower output and less precise beam control, despite offering advantages in simplicity and cost.
    — Matthew MacConnell, ArsTechnica, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of simplicity
Noun
  • Only in agriculture is the rule to produce as much as possible, this silliness to be redeemed if not by the market then by the government.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Minions & Monsters kept its familiar chaos intact, but its turn toward sentiment may have left behind some of the pure silliness that built its core audience at home.
    — David Deal, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of silliness

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Cite this Entry

“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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