1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
investing in that company now would be foolery
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in joking
wildly playful or mischievous behavior
let the kids have a little foolery once in a while
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Recent Examples of foolery
Eric Andre, Tyler the Creator and Machine Gun Kelly all drop by to participate in the Jack-foolery.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2022
The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.
—New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022
Political pranking is traditionally thought of as benign foolery targeting the powerful.
—Stanislav Budnitsky, The Conversation, 19 Apr. 2022
Our magpie eyes will always be drawn to foolery and ephemera.
—Giles Hattersley, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2021
Once every ten years, the first of April assumes a far more significant importance than the annual sharing of April foolery.
—James Deutsch, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2020
All the organs of his body were working — bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming — all toiling away in solemn foolery.
—John Hirschauer, National Review, 17 Sep. 2019
In memory, during that long-ago evening on the edge of the woods, even my young children were drawn into its whirligig of shipwrecks, twins in disguise, misread letters, wise foolery and foolish wisdom.
—Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019
Elsewhere, the lack of physicality that muted the foolery also seemed a factor affecting many actors’ deliveries.
—Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2022
The whole of humanity doesn’t fit tidily into three acts, even assuming as much frame-breaking foolery as Wilder allows.
—New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022
Political pranking is traditionally thought of as benign foolery targeting the powerful.
—Stanislav Budnitsky, The Conversation, 19 Apr. 2022
Our magpie eyes will always be drawn to foolery and ephemera.
—Giles Hattersley, Vogue, 13 Dec. 2021
Once every ten years, the first of April assumes a far more significant importance than the annual sharing of April foolery.
—James Deutsch, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Apr. 2020
All the organs of his body were working — bowels digesting food, skin renewing itself, nails growing, tissues forming — all toiling away in solemn foolery.
—John Hirschauer, National Review, 17 Sep. 2019
In memory, during that long-ago evening on the edge of the woods, even my young children were drawn into its whirligig of shipwrecks, twins in disguise, misread letters, wise foolery and foolish wisdom.
—Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019
Elsewhere, the lack of physicality that muted the foolery also seemed a factor affecting many actors’ deliveries.
—Edward Rothstein, WSJ, 11 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolery
Noun
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Despite his confession, Moseley pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity at the trial for Kitty's slaying.—
Jessica Sager,
People.com,
13 Mar. 2025
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Smith’s attorneys argued that he should be found not guilty by reason of insanity, records show.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Venerable baby boomer Kevin Bacon plays the titular bounty hunter Hub Halloran, a proud Georgia man with little tolerance for tomfoolery and a hatred of the Red Sox.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA TODAY,
17 Mar. 2025
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Another aspect to note is that the AI didn’t ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my need for assistance.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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An opening scene lays out the grotesque absurdity of the situation, as office manager Joy (Christiane Paul) delineates between culinary content and animal abuse in a meeting.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
9 Mar. 2025
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The recent launch of Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed $TRUMP meme coin, which appeared to be an attempt to capitalize on his second inauguration, only reinforced the absurdity of this trend.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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But through the lens of director Bong’s twisted sense of humor, that buffoonery comes from somewhere dark.—
Chris O'Falt,
IndieWire,
6 Mar. 2025
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There are no gilded gates here, but there is one heck of a party, complete with serenading busts, ballroom dancers, excitable opera singers, drunken buffoonery and portraits locked in an endless duel.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
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So, which teams have a chance to jump in the seedings, and which are concerned with making the road ahead more difficult when the madness begins?—
Tyler Small,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
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The madness begins early this week in Nashville when the 2025 SEC Tournament kicks off with a battle between the No. 16 South Carolina Gamecocks and the No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks.—
Faisal Kutty,
Newsweek,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The action anime feature for everyone who couldn’t get enough of the horseplay in The Two Towers has finally cantered onto Max.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
1 Mar. 2025
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Key speeches are faithfully delivered to an audience of two, not thousands; a scene of soldiers destructively revelling on a bridge is given a different spirit by ironic, out-of-time horseplay.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Tirhakah Love is a senior writer at New York Magazine and the host of the new evening newsletter Dinner Party, a daily email that touches on all things entertainment — that means film, television, music, tech, and gaming — plus politics and corporate clownery.—
Vulture,
Vulture,
29 Apr. 2022
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The Winx Club live action is a big clownery!—
Olivia Truffaut-Wong,
refinery29.com,
25 Jan. 2021
Noun
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The final moments of the 119-113 loss were stuffed with the slapstick goofiness expected from a Tuesday night matchup between two sub-500 teams.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Jan. 2025
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Ani’s fight for their relationship, which turns literal at times, is alternately slapstick and touching.—
Scott Tobias,
New York Times,
23 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foolery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolery. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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