plural follies
1
: lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight
his folly in thinking he could not be caught
2
a
: criminally or tragically foolish actions or conduct
"It was folly, pure folly," protested Lingard, "and this poor fellow has paid for it."—
Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
b
3
: a foolish act or idea
The prank was a youthful folly.
4
: an excessively costly or unprofitable undertaking
Paying so much for that land was folly, since it was all rocks.
5
: an often extravagant picturesque building erected to suit a fanciful taste
Examples of folly in a Sentence
the folly of driving fast on steep, winding roads
his folly in thinking that he would not be noticed
The folly of such an action should be apparent to everyone.
the follies of the modern world
the famous Ziegfeld Follies of the 1920s
Recent Examples on the Web
Satire is brilliant for exposing the folly of humans, especially those in power and those working in bad faith—the hypocrites and the frauds—and can be particularly potent when set in irrational or dystopic times.
—Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
By the end of the thirteenth century the Florentines realized their folly and, as commercial players, introduced zero to their world through special business schools.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
The journey from that folly has been fascinating.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Jim Cramer has long believed that taking only a top-down view on picking stocks can be sheer folly.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
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Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2025
By the end of the thirteenth century the Florentines realized their folly and, as commercial players, introduced zero to their world through special business schools.
—Big Think, 5 Nov. 2025
The journey from that folly has been fascinating.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Jim Cramer has long believed that taking only a top-down view on picking stocks can be sheer folly.
—Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folly. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
folly
noun
fol·ly
ˈfäl-ē 
plural follies
1
: lack of good sense or judgment
2
: foolish behavior
3
: a foolish act or idea
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