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fool1 definition

fool (fo̵̅o̅l)

noun

    1. a person with little or no judgment, common sense, wisdom, etc.; silly or stupid person; simpleton
    2. Obsolete a mentally retarded person
  2. a man formerly kept in the household of a nobleman or king to entertain by joking and clowning; professional jester
  3. a victim of a joke or trick; dupe
  4. a person especially devoted to or skilled in some activity a dancing fool

Etymology: ME fol < OFr (Fr fou) < LL follis < L, windbag, bellows: see follicle

adjective

Informal foolish

intransitive verb

  1. to act like a fool; be silly
  2. to speak, act, etc. in jest; joke
  3. Informal to trifle or meddle (with)

transitive verb

to make a fool of; trick; deceive; dupe
fool Idioms

be no fool

or be nobody's fool
to be shrewd and capable

fool around

☆ Informal
  1. to spend time in trifling or pointless activity
  2. to trifle or meddle
  3. to engage in casual sexual activity

fool away

Informal to fritter away foolishly

play the fool

to act like a fool; do silly things; clown
fool2 definition

fool (fo̵̅o̅l)

noun

Brit. crushed stewed fruit mixed with cream, esp. whipped cream

Etymology: Early ModE < ? fool

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

Alternate definitions:

idioms fool idiom

fool Synonyms

fool

n.

  1. A silly or stupid person

    nitwit, simpleton, dunce, ninny, cretin, nincompoop, dolt, idiot, jackass, ass, buffoon, blockhead, numskull, oaf, booby, boob, clod, dunderhead, goose, ignoramus, imbecile, moron, clown, tomfool, wiseacre, donkey, looby, noddy, noodle, innocent, loon, dullard, fathead, halfwit, mooncalf, lightweight, dotard, babbler, driveler, Simple Simon, silly, scatterbrain, bonehead*, simp*, dope*, nerd*, turkey*, dumbdumb*, meathead*, sap*, birdbrain*, lamebrain*, noodlehead*, *airhead*, bubblehead*, ditz*, dumb ox*, lunkhead*, knucklehead*, dimwit*, dumbbell*, jerk*, chump*, twit*, dumb bunny*.

    Antonyms philosopher*, sage*, scholar. *

  2. One made to seem foolish

    butt, laughingstock, victim, clown, poor fish, schlemiel, dupe, gull, gudgeon, cully, stooge, fair game, goat*, pigeon*, sucker*, patsy*, fall guy*, pushover*, setup*, mark*, easy mark*, chump*.

no <strong>or </strong>nobody's fool

shrewd, calculating, capable; see able 1, 2, intelligent 1.

play the fool

be silly, show off, clown; see joke.


fool

v.

trick, dupe, mislead; see deceive.


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.

fool Usage Examples

Object

  • magician: When was the last time a coin in bottle routine fooled magician after magician?

Converse of object

  • delude: It, too, has had its share of rubbish pedaled by insincere opportunists and deluded fools.

Adjective modifier

  • misguided: There are some misguided fools who imagine that one can achieve spiritual excellence without adhering to the Sunna.

Modifies a noun

  • proof: He just sold me the fool proof way to win the lottery.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • around: These men do not fool around with spending a day at the track.

Possessives

  • errand: The first fish appears on April Fool's Day, a day of practical jokes on which people are sent on fool's errands.

Possessives

  • nobody: This unemployed jester, who's nobody's fool, has paid for his merry jape, I send his tongue to you.

Noun used with modifier

  • gooseberry: The Southbank has that classic gooseberry fool profile with a touch of nettle too.
fool 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.

fool quotes

Napoleon thinks that I am a fool, but he who laughs last laughs longest.

-Alexander I

   There is in human nature generally more of the fool than of the wise.

-Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

  'Some people', Miss R. said,'run to conceits or wisdom but I hold to the hard, brown, nutlike word. I might point out that there is enough aesthetic excitement here to satisfy anyone but a damned fool.'

-Barthelme, Donald

fool 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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MLA Style

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

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/fool>

APA Style

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

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/fool

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