1
as in lunatic
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in sucker
a person with a strong and habitual liking for something
I'm a fool for ice cream
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in psychopath
a person having or showing a severely disordered or abnormal state of mind
he got out of serving in the army by successfully pretending to be a fool
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in foolish
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
he's always got some fool plan or other
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to joke
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and the city’s essential billionaire investor, Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto, is no fool.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 24 May 2025
Prosecco may be Italy’s most joyful export—bubbly, bright, and effortlessly charming—but don’t let its easygoing nature fool you.
—Emily Price, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Noun
Camp offered sanctuary, a mode of performance that didn’t suffer hypocritical fools gladly.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and the city’s essential billionaire investor, Morningstar founder Joe Mansueto, is no fool.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2025
Verb
Jordan Beck and Aaron Schunk both singled off the Cy Young contender, but both were sent back to the dugout after Fried fooled them.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 24 May 2025
Prosecco may be Italy’s most joyful export—bubbly, bright, and effortlessly charming—but don’t let its easygoing nature fool you.
—Emily Price, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
-
Among the players connected to the disappearance are a wide and varied cast of Austin characters: an up-and-coming boxer who crossed the border from Mexico under strange circumstances, a rookie cop determined to crack the case, a grifter clown (figurative and literal).—
Lucas Schaefer
June 13,
Literary Hub,
13 June 2025
-
As the animals fought, brass bands played and clowns entertained.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
3 June 2025
Noun
-
Just the luck of the draw, the bouncing balls, and thanks for your services, suckers….—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
12 June 2025
-
Yes, ultimately, Joe fell for the lie, but not like a sucker.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Kent can often just look foolish onstage, sitting there idling.—
Nan Z. Da
June 10,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2025
-
To write off the Israeli leader would be foolish, especially with new elections not required until late 2026.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
Notably, 40 percent acknowledged faking activity to deceive monitoring systems, suggesting a struggle to maintain consistent performance outside traditional office settings.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 June 2025
-
So there’s an interesting, dark comedy element to people that are deceiving themselves.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Verb
-
The recipe in question is for tortellini and Sinatra isn’t joking—in 1965, concerned citizens of Italy drafted a document to describe the proper method for preparing this pasta, which was eventually registered with the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna, the hometown of tortellini.—
Elena Valeriote,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
-
No elbows on the dinner table (my mom would joke that this was rule #485), always eat your vegetables, and wait till everyone has their food before digging in.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
Learn more about management options and which food plants are most susceptible to this insect in our harlequin bug on vegetables web page.—
Miri Talabac,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Once infused with the diabolical spirit, the guide is transformed into a buffoon, complete with a harlequin outfit—a mad joker and a dancing fool who does a little jig to the sound of a jazz trio.—
Richard Brody,
The New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Here are performances music lovers won’t want to miss.—
Randy McMullen,
Mercury News,
19 June 2025
-
Any dinosaur lovers at home should be eating up this documentary special series on PBS this week.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
Stories for the waiting room According to Kevin Dutton, a British psychologist and author, and assorted studies, the 10 careers with the highest proportion of psychopaths are CEO, lawyer, TV news personalities, salespeople, surgeons, journalists, police officers, clergy, chefs and civil servants.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2025
-
Burrough reveals the hero of Bob Dylan’s 1967 ballad to be a psychopath.—
Paul Begala,
New York Times,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share