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The word tomfoolery owes a debt to one Thome Fole, but just who that Mr. Fole was is unclear. A court jester identified as Thome Fole was employed at Durham Abbey in the 14th century, but the record is unclear about whether Thome Fole was the given name of this particular performer, or if the name was applied as a generic moniker to jesters. Regardless, Thome Fole eventually evolved into tomfool, which was in use as a noun referring to any notable fool by the early 17th century, and as an adjective describing such fools by the mid-18th century. Tomfoolery as a term for playful or foolish behavior didn’t come into use until the early 19th century, but it’s proven to be of far more use to English speakers than tomfool.
Examples of tomfoolery in a Sentence
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 12 July 2025
Sadly, the Academy has released no rules preventing the tomfoolery that led to two leading actors winning the Supporting categories this year.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
Growing up, the de Kooning home became an unofficial meeting ground for creative tomfoolery: Lisa de Kooning was a firm believer in play.
—Alessandra Schade, Vogue, 7 June 2025
Another aspect to note is that the AI didn’t ridicule me or otherwise play any tomfoolery about my need for assistance.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tomfoolery
Cite this Entry
“Tomfoolery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tomfoolery. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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tomfoolery
noun
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