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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.

See Examples For:

It would be foolish to start a new, even cheaper S&P 500 index fund today to steal market share.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

China and other potential adversaries would be foolish to try taking military advantage of this shortfall, said Michael Fullilove, executive director of the Lowy Institute in Australia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

"The stadium is well equipped for it, they would be foolish to not try and pursue us," the American told BBC Radio Berkshire.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

MarketWatch Picks: ‘Are we foolish to think we can retire in 3 years?’

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

But no one wanted to look foolish on their first day either.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

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