fool 1 of 3

noun

ˈfül How to pronounce fool (audio)
Definition of foolnext
1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared

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2
as in clown
a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks a king's fool could get away with saying things that others in the palace couldn't

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3
as in sucker
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something I'm a fool for ice cream

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fool

2 of 3

adjective

as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment he's always got some fool plan or other

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fool

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue I fooled him into thinking that we were driving to the store, not to his surprise birthday party

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2
as in to joke
to make jokes an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience

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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 fool
Noun
The retail army’s outlandish behavior and eccentric stock choices—which included bankrupt Hertz and Bed Bath & Beyond—led many on Wall Street to initially dismiss them as fools who would soon be gone. — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 Judge Judy star Judith Sheindlin famously does not suffer fools. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Sep. 2026
Verb
And we will be fooled into believing that’s the best, or worst, thing comedy has to offer. — Christina Catherine Martinez, Los Angeles Times, 8 Oct. 2026 But don't be fooled by their 12-game win streak of one-score games in the regular season. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
  1. lunatic
  2. clown
  3. sucker
  4. foolish
  5. deceive
  6. joke
  7. moron
  8. harlequin
Noun
  • The show will serve as a platform for countless lunatics within the InfoWars universe and a platform for larger announcements about the company’s fictional exploits.
    — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Rabin was killed [in 1995], that was a last straw —seeing an extremist right-wing lunatic in Israel kill Rabin and kill the dreams of peace.
    — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of lunatic
Noun
  • When asked about his most Mary-like quality, Yang pointed to the duality of the clown.
    — Alex Jhamb Burns, Vogue, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Jean pays tribute to the oversized trousers worn by rodeo clowns.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • The theory seems to be that there will always be another crop of suckers willing to pump money into the ecosystem, so the market will provide.
    — Joseph Kahn, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026
  • These sucker shoots can quickly form a thicket of stems that are unsightly, inherently weak, and prone to storm damage if allowed to mature.
    — Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of sucker
Adjective
  • 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
Definition of foolish
Verb
  • The evidence does not establish that Claude deliberately set out to deceive investigators.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Until Holmes, the characters in Oppenheim’s documentaries had been relative unknowns — people with far less incentive to deceive him.
    — Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of deceive
Verb
  • Lumen’s Kate Johnson and EY’s Janet Truncale joked about their first meeting at the Business Roundtable.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While the photos were convincing and viral memes joked about the concept of putting lip gloss on a boot, a quick Google search verifies that the collaboration isn’t real.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • The unlikely source is Enervate’s company stooge corporate strategist, Ken Davies (Tim Key), a moron by any measure.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 9 Sep. 2026
  • God help us all if some idiot, some moron, ever put you in charge.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 18 July 2026
Definition of moron
Noun
  • How to Make a Harlequin Pastry Pattern For the harlequin pattern on this citrusy pie’s top crust, prep and roll out pastry.
    — Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The Cézanne is Arlequin, 1888-90, from a set of four harlequin paintings and the only one not held by a museum.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of harlequin

Phrases Containing fool

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foofaraws
fool
fool's paradise
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Cite this Entry

“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fool

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