foolish

adjective

fool·​ish ˈfü-lish How to pronounce foolish (audio)
Synonyms of foolish
1
: having or showing a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion
a foolish mistake
She takes foolish risks.
2
a
: absurd, ridiculous
He looked foolish in that hat.
b
: marked by a loss of composure : nonplussed
He felt foolish when he couldn't remember where he had parked the car.
3
: insignificant, trifling
foolishly adverb

Synonyms of foolish

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simple, foolish, silly, fatuous, asinine mean actually or apparently deficient in intelligence.

simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

Examples of foolish in a Sentence

He was wearing a foolish grin. She's been taking foolish risks. Those flashy clothes make her look foolish. She must feel foolish wearing those flashy clothes. I never thought you'd be foolish enough to believe him.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
But Ohtani also struck out three times Thursday — made to look foolish in a much-too-familiar way. — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 But pretending that their selection of Fudd was based entirely on her basketball skills is foolish. — Dan Zaksheske Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 Soaking the suburbs over parking is reminiscent of other foolish, revenue-grabbing ideas, such as a congestion tax aimed at outsiders as a way to gin up money to cover Chicago’s ever-present budget black hole. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026 With Oracle having lost more than $20 billion in stock-market value today, this appears to be penny-wise and pound foolish. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for foolish

Word History

Etymology

see fool entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foolish was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing foolish

Rhymes for foolish

See All Rhymes for foolish

Browse Nearby Words

fool hen
foolish
foolish guillemot
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Cite this Entry

“Foolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foolish. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

foolish

adjective
fool·​ish ˈfü-lish How to pronounce foolish (audio)
: lacking in good sense or judgment : silly
foolishly adverb
foolishness noun
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