foolish

adjective

fool·ish ˈfü-lish

Synonyms of foolish next

: having or showing a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion

a foolish mistake

She takes foolish risks.

: absurd, ridiculous

He looked foolish in that hat.

: marked by a loss of composure : nonplussed

He felt foolish when he couldn't remember where he had parked the car.

: insignificant, trifling

foolishly adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for foolish

simple, foolish, silly, fatuous, asinine mean actually or apparently deficient in intelligence.

simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

Examples of foolish in a Sentence

He was wearing a foolish grin. She's been taking foolish risks. Those flashy clothes make her look foolish. She must feel foolish wearing those flashy clothes. I never thought you'd be foolish enough to believe him.

Recent Examples on the Web

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.

If he can be had for under $10 million a year, the Yankees would be foolish to not pursue that idea. —

Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024 What a degrading finale for Biden’s feeble, forgettable, frequently foolish presidency. —

Bret Stephens, The Mercury News, 3 Dec. 2024 Pinning the loss solely on Mrázek would be foolish, given the turnovers and defensive gaffes by the Blackhawks in allowing response goals within three minutes of all three of their own power-play goals. —

Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 2 Dec. 2024 Don't dangle them upside down when filled with liquid — such faith would prove foolish, according to our testing — but the bags are both dishwasher and microwave-safe, and designed to last through thousands of uses. —

Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for foolish