foolish

adjective

fool·​ish ˈfü-lish 

1

: having or showing a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion

a foolish mistake

She takes foolish risks.

2

a

: absurd, ridiculous

He looked foolish in that hat.

b

: marked by a loss of composure : nonplussed

He felt foolish when he couldn't remember where he had parked the car.

3

: insignificant, trifling

foolishly adverb

Synonyms

• absurd
• asinine
• balmy
• brainless
• bubbleheaded
• cockeyed
• crackpot
• crazy
• cuckoo
• daffy
• daft
• dippy
• dotty
• fatuous
• featherheaded
• fool
• half-baked
• harebrained
• half-witted
• inept
• insane
• jerky
• kooky
• kookie
• loony
• looney
• lunatic
• lunkheaded
• mad
• nonsensical
• nutty
• preposterous
• sappy
• screwball
• senseless
• silly
• simpleminded
• stupid
• tomfool
• unwise
• wacky
• whacky
• weak-minded
• witless
• zany

Choose the Right Synonym for foolish

simple, foolish, silly, fatuous, asinine mean actually or apparently deficient in intelligence.

simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

Examples of foolish in a Sentence

He was wearing a foolish grin.

She's been taking foolish risks.

Those flashy clothes make her look foolish.

She must feel foolish wearing those flashy clothes.

I never thought you'd be foolish enough to believe him.

Recent Examples on the Web

Peter, though revered as an apostle worthy of veneration, is also portrayed in the Gospels as prone to mistakes, often foolish, and sometimes outright contradictory to God’s will. —Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025

The notion that women should be flawless multitaskers, managing a perfect home and career while never showing vulnerability or weakness is not only unrealistic, but also foolish. —Nicole Lipkin, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

These seem like foolish decisions to me when looking at the camera from a practical, pragmatic point of view. —Jim Fisher, PCMAG, 24 Feb. 2025

In 2019, a partial government shutdown left a skeleton crew of workers in Joshua Tree, vandals and foolish guests caused destruction in the park that experts expect to take centuries to regrow. —Andrew Keatts, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see fool entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing foolish

• penny-wise and/but pound-foolish
• pound-foolish

Rhymes for foolish

• ghoulish

Kids Definition

foolish

adjective

fool·​ish ˈfü-lish 

: lacking in good sense or judgment : silly

foolishly adverb

foolishness noun