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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to joke
to make jokes
an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fool
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 9 May 2025
Don’t let his late entry fool you: This horse is a major contender.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 4 May 2025
Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 May 2025
Admitting that no one is immune to being fooled is key to defending against them.
—ArsTechnica, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Noun
But don’t let the price fool you—the quality holds up.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 9 May 2025
Don’t let his late entry fool you: This horse is a major contender.
—Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 4 May 2025
Verb
Don’t let the name of his latest operation fool you.
—Betsy McCaughey, Boston Herald, 18 May 2025
Admitting that no one is immune to being fooled is key to defending against them.
—ArsTechnica, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for fool
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fool
Noun
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Elves, insectoids, reptilians, aliens, gods, and clowns are all common.—
Andy Greenberg,
Wired News,
22 May 2025
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Fans can also look forward to performances by the iconic Silver Spurs Quadrille, the adorable antics of kids competing in Mutton Bustin’, and plenty of laughs courtesy of the ever-entertaining rodeo clowns.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 May 2025
Noun
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In Israeli parlance, the prime minister is a freier—a sucker.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
-
My father never ever thought of himself as a sucker or a loser.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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And this is not a story of corporate greed run amok, because Walmart would be foolish to try to gouge its customers at a time when economic anxiety is high (more on that in a moment).—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
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Peters said the training from Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology has helped credit union employees to better frame probing questions that will get a positive response without making members feel foolish.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
Verb
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Their book has already generated a national debate about whether the White House deceived the public about the president’s condition and how Biden’s late exit from the race undermined the Democratic Party’s chances of stopping a second term for President Trump.—
Stephen Battaglio,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
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Although Bristol’s spring race may appear to have sparse crowds, this is somewhat deceiving.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Nikki Glaser did joke that the secret to longevity as an artist is to never age, and these women are the living (and dancing) proof.—
Alex Apatoff,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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In order to resolve the problem, Biel jokes about using apple turnovers as a memory device to stay on script.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
23 May 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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Here are five must-see spots for literature fiends in Istanbul: Pera Palace Hotel Pera Palace is most well-known for literature lovers as the hotel where Agatha Christie allegedly wrote Murder on the Orient Express.—
Kaitlyn McInnis,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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And that’s where many younger Millennials and Gen Z music lovers first fell in love with the artform.—
Scottie Andrew,
CNN Money,
25 May 2025
Noun
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Yet, the effect can be similar to how a human psychopath might feign emotion to achieve their goals.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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But also that is absolutely the kind of insane leap a psychopath would make!—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
5 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fool.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fool. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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