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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective foolhardy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of foolhardy are adventurous, daredevil, daring, rash, reckless, and venturesome. While all these words mean "exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense," foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Where would adventurous be a reasonable alternative to foolhardy?

The meanings of adventurous and foolhardy largely overlap; however, adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

When is daredevil a more appropriate choice than foolhardy?

The words daredevil and foolhardy can be used in similar contexts, but daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

When would daring be a good substitute for foolhardy?

The words daring and foolhardy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

When might rash be a better fit than foolhardy?

In some situations, the words rash and foolhardy are roughly equivalent. However, rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

When can reckless be used instead of foolhardy?

While in some cases nearly identical to foolhardy, reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

When is it sensible to use venturesome instead of foolhardy?

While the synonyms venturesome and foolhardy are close in meaning, venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

Examples 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 foolhardy Overshadowing the endorsement was a foolhardy rhetorical flourish that insulted key voting blocs courted by the Republican nominee in his campaign against the Democratic nominee, New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Robert B. Mitchell / Made By History, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024 An empathy gap is obvious in online commenters who suggest, for example, that flood victims earned their fate through the foolhardy choice to live near water, that earthquake victims shouldn’t have lived near fault lines, and so on. Hazlitt, 23 Oct. 2024 And if even one state’s bioweapons program experimented with extinction-level pathogens—perhaps on a foolhardy quest to develop the ultimate deterrent—the next laboratory accident could precipitate a global pandemic much worse than that of COVID-19. William MacAskill, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2022 The brave—or foolhardy—among us can even love to love it. Simon Garfield, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foolhardy 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolhardy
Adjective
  • He was arrested without incident and faces charges of two counts of risk of injury to a minor, breach of peace, assault and reckless endangerment.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
  • The Wild didn’t like seeing Spurgeon, a top defenseman, knocked out of their lineup for a number of weeks by a reckless play from a rookie who had previously been suspended nine times in juniors and twice in the AHL.
    Michael Russo, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Quick aside: Notre Dame with its gaudy, preposterously shiny gold helmets forfeited the OB’s Best Headgear trophy to Penn State’s plain white helmets, the most daring flair of understatement since Andy Warhol painted a tomato soup can and called it art.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Judy Reyes stars as a nurse whose daughter dies at the age of five, only to be brought back to life by a morgue technician (an unforgettable Marin Ireland) who has been experimenting with a daring new process.
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The Democratic budget was moved from the House to the Senate, which allowed four courageous Democratic senators who recognized the historic moment for structural budgetary changes.
    Len Fasano, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2025
  • Joshua Zeman’s documentary chronicles the courageous efforts to save them, first from starvation, then via transport to new homes.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The streets here are steep, as in San Francisco-steep—so precipitous that brave locals (or crazy, some might say) hurtle down them in homemade bobsleds every January.
    Cassidy Randall, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Benjamin Franklin was not only a political thinker but a scientist and a brave advocate of smallpox inoculation.
    Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Due to his high-flying, daredevil move set and unique presentation, Hardy became one of the most popular WWE Superstars of the 2000s.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
  • In 1910, a quarter of a million people had spent 10 days swooning over the Los Angeles International Aviation Meet — the nation’s first daredevil airshow.
    Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
Adjective
  • Kylie Kangaroo Kylie is an adventurous kangaroo from Australia.
    Elisa Cinelli, Parents, 16 Jan. 2025
  • At such a young age, there is still massive scope for Reis to improve; from bulking up and becoming sturdier in the shoulder-to-shoulder duels to rediscovering his adventurous distribution at the highest level of the game.
    Thom Harris, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near foolhardy

Cite this Entry

“Foolhardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolhardy. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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