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
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
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
And now he’s left us, when once again brutality is massing behind its shields, and once again compassion has acquired the nobility of true folly.
—
James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Building Denver’s largest skyscraper in four decades seemed like the height of folly when Chicago developer Riverside Investment & Development Co. broke ground in April 2022 on the site of a former parking lot.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
The first day that happens the Amtrak leaders who insisted on this folly must be fired.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 May 2025
After Mao died, new leadership saw the folly of the Maoist doctrine.
—Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
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James Parker, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Building Denver’s largest skyscraper in four decades seemed like the height of folly when Chicago developer Riverside Investment & Development Co. broke ground in April 2022 on the site of a former parking lot.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 29 May 2025
The first day that happens the Amtrak leaders who insisted on this folly must be fired.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 23 May 2025
After Mao died, new leadership saw the folly of the Maoist doctrine.
—Tim Bajarin, Forbes.com, 5 June 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 21 Jun. 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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