tomfool

1 of 2

noun

tom·​fool ˈtäm-ˈfül 

: a great fool : blockhead

tomfool

2 of 2

adjective

: extremely foolish, stupid, or doltish

Synonyms

Adjective

• absurd
• asinine
• balmy
• brainless
• bubbleheaded
• cockeyed
• crackpot
• crazy
• cuckoo
• daffy
• daft
• dippy
• dotty
• fatuous
• featherheaded
• fool
• foolish
• half-baked
• half-witted
• harebrained
• inept
• insane
• jerky
• kooky
• kookie
• loony
• looney
• lunatic
• lunkheaded
• mad
• nonsensical
• nutty
• preposterous
• sappy
• screwball
• senseless
• silly
• simpleminded
• stupid
• unwise
• wacky
• whacky
• weak-minded
• witless
• zany

Examples of tomfool in a Sentence

Adjective

what kind of tomfool idea is this?

Word History

Etymology

Noun

earlier Tom foole, from Tom, shortened form of Thomas, a proper name + foole fool entry 1

Note: The word was perhaps originally an appellation for a jester. The account rolls of Durham Abbey record disbursements made for a certain Thome Fole (also in Latin as Thomas Fatuus), presumably the name of a professional jester, for items of dress in the 1330's and for his funeral during the period 1356-57 (see Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, and Middle English Dictionary s.v. Tomme).

Adjective

from attributive use of tomfool entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1640, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1760, in the meaning defined above