FOOLISH

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

I. (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Having or revealing stupidity

Example:

some fool idea about rewriting authors' books

Synonyms:

anserine; dopey; dopy; foolish; gooselike; goosey; goosy; jerky

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

stupid (lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Derivation:

foolishness (the trait of acting stupidly or rashly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Devoid of good sense or judgment

Example:

a foolish decision

Classified under:

Adjectives

Similar:

absurd; cockeyed; derisory; idiotic; laughable; ludicrous; nonsensical; preposterous; ridiculous (so unreasonable as to invite derision)

mindless; vacuous (devoid of intelligence or thought)

goofy; silly; wacky; whacky; zany (ludicrous, foolish)

fond (absurd or silly because unlikely)

harebrained; insane; mad (very foolish)

ill-conceived; misguided (poorly conceived or thought out)

rattlebrained; rattlepated; scatterbrained; scatty (lacking sense or discretion)

unwise (showing or resulting from lack of judgment or wisdom)

Also:

inadvisable; unadvisable (not prudent or wise; not recommended)

ill-advised; unadvised (without careful prior deliberation or counsel)

impolitic (not politic)

imprudent (not prudent or wise)

Antonym:

wise (having or prompted by wisdom or discernment)

Derivation:

foolishness (the quality of being rash and foolish)

Credits

Context examples:

I came to tell you I have been very foolish.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

We have a housekeeper now, but she is old and foolish, and I could easily get her out of the way.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"I'm sorry to be troublin' you with me foolish spache," he said regretfully. "I mint nothin' by it. 'Tis a great day for Michael Dennin, an' he's as gay as a lark."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

I would do nothing so foolish.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Mr. Elton had retreated into the card-room, looking (Emma trusted) very foolish.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

That is a very foolish trick, Fanny, to be idling away all the evening upon a sofa.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

“And then you know”—twisting himself about and forcing a foolish laugh—“I say, then you know, we may try the truth of this same old song.”

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

It was a foolish, idle inclination on my side, said he, the consequence of ignorance of the world—and want of employment.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

She is a very headstrong, foolish girl, and does not know her own interest but I will make her know it.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

This was his only secret exception, when he said to his sister, in answer to her suppositions:—Yes, here I am, Sophia, quite ready to make a foolish match.