folly

noun

fol·​ly ˈfä-lē 

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

b

obsolete : evil, wickedness

especially : lewd behavior

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 and scrub trees.

5

: an often extravagant picturesque building erected to suit a fanciful taste

Synonyms

• absurdity
• asininity
• bêtise
• fatuity
• foolery
• foppery
• idiocy
• imbecility
• inanity
• insanity
• lunacy
• stupidity

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

In Shakespeare’s time, public theater brought people together to witness the power struggles among aristocrats, the tragedy of impulsive romances, and the twists of human folly—performed live before their eyes. —Gerui Wang, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Allowing an entity accountable to the CCP to decide who is shown what content and when is the height of folly. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024

The folly of that choice was exposed in a brutal way by his disastrous performance in his one and only debate with Trump in June. —Niall Stanage, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2024

But Americans must guard carefully against falling prey to our own illusions and our own folly. —Shane Croucher, Newsweek, 7 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English folie, from Anglo-French, from fol fool

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids 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