foolish Definition
fool·ish (fo̵̅o̅l′is̸h)
adjective
- without good sense; silly; unwise
- ridiculous; absurd
- abashed; embarrassed
- Archaic humble
Etymology: ME folish
foolish Related Forms
fool′·ishly adverb
fool′·ish·ness noun
foolish Synonyms
foolish Usage Examples
Modifying Another Word
- utterly: If he had not been so utterly foolish, nothing could have prevented your going to the hospital.
- politically: The military response is not just politically foolish but profoundly wicked.
- rather: Feeling rather foolish at the selfish nature of my grief I stood to inspect the panel.
Infinitive complement
- pretend: It would be foolish to pretend there are any easy answers.
- ignore: Regardless of the legal position students would be foolish to ignore the guidelines regarding breaks from the computer.
- assume: It would be foolish to assume that 2005 could simply be repeated in 2006 and that it would be a similar success.
- deny: It would be foolish to deny that there might be a marginal increase in influence in some specialized areas.
- imagine: And any nation or individual is foolish to imagine that God will never intervene to judge.
- argue: But if the leader was foolish enough to argue with Moon, he would not remain a leader very long.
Modifies a noun
- virgin: Or foolish virgins unprepared for the Master's return?
- notion: The foolish notion is that Respect can be all things to all people.
- nonsense: Apple is one of, if not the, most Anonymous | Fri 9 June, 2006 11:11pm Article is foolish nonsense.
- pride: Alan Oakley's foolish pride had caused him to overlook the fact that without it, the body cannot live indefinitely!
- mistake: You could argue that releasing the data was a foolish mistake.
- consistency: But it also quotes Emerson, reminding us that " a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds " .
Used with adjective complement
- seem: It seems exceptionally foolish for people to go where they have no need to go.
- appear: He felt he had been made to appear foolish by what he considered to be Helen's deception.
- feel: Feeling rather foolish at the selfish nature of my grief I stood to inspect the panel.
- look: I didn't want to look foolish by going home with the wrong Welshman.
Preposition: in
extreme: Wine & Dine has said since February that the hype of 2005 Bordeaux was foolish in the extreme.
Browse dictionary entries near foolish
- ‹ fooling
- ‹ foolhardy
- ‹ foolery
- ‹ fooled
- ‹ fool's-parsley
- ‹ fool's paradise
- ‹ fool's gold
- ‹ fool's errand
- ‹ fool's cap
- ‹ fool hen
- foolishly ›
- foolishness ›
- foolproof ›
- foolscap ›
- foot ›
- foot-and-mouth disease ›
- foot brake ›
- foot-candle ›
- foot-dragging ›
- foot fault ›

