folly

fol·ly

Use folly in a sentence

noun

Folly is defined as an act of foolishness or a lack of good sense.

An example of folly is someone intentionally stabbing their foot with a pitch fork.
An example of folly is building a hospital on an earthquake fault line.

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MLA Style

"folly." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/folly>.

APA Style

folly. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/folly

folly

noun

pl. -·lies

a lack of understanding, sense, or rational conduct; foolishness
any foolish action or belief
any foolish and useless but expensive undertaking
1. Obs. wickedness or evil; also, lewdness
2. action that ends or can end in disaster
an unconventional or extravagant, and often largely purposeless, building or structure

Origin of folly

Middle English folie from Old French from fol: see fool

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Link to this page

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MLA Style

"folly." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/folly>.

APA Style

folly. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/folly

folly

noun

pl. fol·lies

Lack of good sense, understanding, or foresight: an act of folly
a. An act or instance of foolishness: regretted the follies of his youth.
b. A costly undertaking having an absurd or ruinous outcome.
follies used with a sing. or pl. verb An elaborate theatrical revue consisting of music, dance, and skits.
A structure, such as a pavilion in a garden, that is chiefly decorative rather than practical in purpose.

Origin of folly

Middle English folie from Old French from fol foolish from Late Latin follis windbag, fool ; see fool .

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"folly." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/folly>.

APA Style

folly. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/folly

Noun

(plural follies)

Foolishness.
This is a war of folly.
Thoughtless action resulting in tragic consequence.
The purchase of Alaska from Russia was termed Seward's folly.
A fanciful building built for purely ornamental reasons.
A luncheonette in the shape of a coffee cup is particularly conspicuous, as is intended of an architectural duck or folly.