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Definitions

foolish

[foo-lish] / ˈfu lɪʃ /
ADJECTIVE
nonsensical, idiotic
Synonyms
STRONGEST
absurd crazy fantastic ill-advised insane irrational ludicrous preposterous ridiculous silly stupid unreasonable unwise
WEAK
asinine brainless cockamamy daffy daft dippy doltish dotty fatuous feebleminded half-baked half-witted harebrained ill-considered imbecilic imprudent incautious indiscreet injudicious jerky kooky loony lunatic mad moronic nutty senseless short-sighted simple unintelligent wacky weak witless zany
Antonyms
STRONGEST
balanced logical plain practical rational realistic reasonable responsible sane sensible serious smart sound wise
WEAK
careful cautious circumspect prudent thoughtful unfoolish

Usage

What are other ways to say foolish? The adjective foolish implies a lack of common sense or good judgment or, sometimes, a weakness of mind: a foolish decision; The child seems foolish. Fatuous implies being not only foolish, dull, and vacant in mind, but complacent and highly self-satisfied as well: fatuous and self-important; fatuous answers. Silly denotes extreme and conspicuous foolishness; it may also refer to pointlessness of jokes, remarks, etc.: silly and senseless behavior; a perfectly silly statement. Inane applies to silliness that is notably lacking in content, sense, or point: inane questions that leave one with no reply. Stupid implies natural slowness or dullness of intellect, or, sometimes, a benumbed or dazed state of mind; it is also used to mean foolish or silly: He was rendered stupid by a blow; It is stupid to do such a thing. Asinine originally meant like an ass; it applies to witlessly stupid conversations or conduct and suggests a lack of social grace or perception: He failed to notice the reaction to his asinine remarks.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The risk, if I had to pick one, is appearing foolish to others in my orbit, including my children, or embarrassing them when we are out together in public.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

Go through the account activity together, framing it as a routine check rather than accusing him of being foolish or incompetent.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Hatosy’s Titus is the Danforths’ disappointing fail son and the actor keeps his face in a delightfully foolish little pout.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

“It would be foolish to ignore the full distribution of geopolitical risk,” writes Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, global chief economist at Boston Consulting Group.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

I noticed the ablutionist had lost the majority of his chess pieces, and swayed on his cushion with a foolish grin.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Vocabulary lists containing foolish

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