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folly definition

folly (fäl′ē)

noun pl. follies -·lies

  1. a lack of understanding, sense, or rational conduct; foolishness
  2. any foolish action or belief
  3. any foolish and useless but expensive undertaking
    1. Obsolete wickedness or evil; also, lewdness
    2. action that ends or can end in disaster

Etymology: ME folie < OFr < fol: see fool

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

folly Synonyms

folly

n.

absurdity, foolishness, imprudence, silliness; see indiscretion 1, stupidity 2, 3.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

folly Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • mankind: The folly of mankind shall shatter the Seal: He Shall Rise.

Converse of object

  • expose: This immediately exposes the folly of using the same advisor.

Adjective modifier

  • utter: Yet they had to witness this utter folly of death by drug addiction.

Modifies a noun

  • farm: Folly Farm for youngsters: Situated 9 miles from Park.

Noun used with modifier

  • garden: In the Victorian era it was partly demolished to provide building material for a garden folly in the manor grounds.
folly usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

folly quotes

Idonot know whether itoughttobe so, butcertainlysilly things do cease to be silly if theyare done by sensible people in an impudent way.Wickedness is always wickedness, but folly is not always folly. It depends upon the character of those who handle it.

-Austen,Jane

Goldsmith tells us, when a lovely woman stoops to folly, shehasnothing to do but die; and when shestoopsto be disagreeable, it is equally to be recommended as a clearer of ill-fame. See Goldsmith 361:47.

-Austen,Jane

It is often seen that bad husbands have very good wives; whether it be that it raiseth the price of their husband's kindness when it comes, or that the wives take a pride in their patience. But this never fails, if the bad husbands were of their own choosing, against their friends' consent; for then they will be sure to make good their own folly.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

folly quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"folly." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/folly>

APA Style

folly. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/folly

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