1
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
foolish people who thought that the world would end in the year 2000 a foolish scheme that was supposed to make us all rich
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
foolish attempts to construct a perpetual motion machine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in small
lacking importance
the current regulations are cluttered with foolish details that are unnecessarily burdensome
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foolish
Miami would be foolish to hold onto him as the team still looks to be multiple years away from contending for a postseason berth.
—
Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025
Today’s Wordle Etymology The word madly comes from mad (meaning insane, foolish, or intense in emotion) + -ly, a suffix used to form adverbs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Currently 44-10 | On pace for 67-15 Underestimating the Cavs has proven to be a foolish practice this season.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
An acquiring team would be foolish not to have an extension done with Parsons before executing a trade; otherwise, things could get really difficult down the road.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Mark Joseph, Newsweek, 23 Feb. 2025
Today’s Wordle Etymology The word madly comes from mad (meaning insane, foolish, or intense in emotion) + -ly, a suffix used to form adverbs.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Currently 44-10 | On pace for 67-15 Underestimating the Cavs has proven to be a foolish practice this season.
—Zach Harper, The Athletic, 19 Feb. 2025
An acquiring team would be foolish not to have an extension done with Parsons before executing a trade; otherwise, things could get really difficult down the road.
—Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolish
Adjective
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Thank you Hallie for thinking of me and putting my name in your stupid brother's ear.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
24 Feb. 2025
-
That would have been a stupid question just about anywhere else, but the exhibition was by Laura Owens, a painter with a penchant for trickery, and the venue was Matthew Marks Gallery in New York, whose press release for Owens’s latest outing offered little in the way of explanation.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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And next year, and for years to come, through trauma and joy, this seemingly absurd ritual is going to be here.—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
3 Mar. 2025
-
With his absurd hair and larger-than-life persona, Trump is a walking meme.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The foyer is often a small space, so a hall tree can be overbearing.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
2 Mar. 2025
-
Have a small outdoor space but want to grow some plants and vegetables?—
Toni Sutton,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
This will especially appeal to the silly preschoolers in the group!—
Amanda Rock,
Parents,
5 Mar. 2025
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Using medieval art as one resource, Ariès pointed out that children were often portrayed as miniature adults, without special attributes, such as plump features or silly behaviors, that might mark them as fundamentally different from their older counterparts.—
Anna Mae Duane,
The Conversation,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The bizarre incident occurred early Tuesday when authorities say a man hopped a metal fence of a home in the 900 block of Wakefield Avenue and set fire to a black sedan in the front yard.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
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Then there’s The Island, a bizarre addition that blends traditional elements of role playing, live service and online multiplayer games together.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
According to a statement from the Danville Police Department, the drivers of both vehicles suffered minor injuries, while two other passengers in the truck were unhurt.—
Rick Hurd,
The Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2025
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The cab driver suffered minor back and neck injuries in the crash and claimed Zangrilli was drunk but the responding officer sent the inspector on his way, telling the cabbie to file an accident report at an NYPD precinct.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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While Nigerians are upset with economic conditions, most are not mad at Dangote.—
John Hyatt,
Forbes,
17 Feb. 2025
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Why, for instance, is the hot middle-aged dad, Eric (Scott Foley), so incredibly mad at his 20-something daughter, Olivia (Maia Reficco), for wanting to purchase a literal villa in Italy for the whopping price of one euro?—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Your voice is insane.—
Mary Colurso | [email protected],
al,
4 Apr. 2023
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But obviously winning the grand jury prize was insane.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2023
Articles Related to foolish
Cite this Entry
“Foolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolish. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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