1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
in all my folly, I didn't think about how my actions would hurt my father
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
enough of this folly about moving to the Australian outback
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of folly
Asimov's original idea was to conceive a sound system by which humanity's foibles and follies could be traced and tracked over centuries.
—
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
His style is Olympian on the surface, the ironic detachment of his pictures casting a cold, curious eye at humanity’s follies and derangements.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
The past week has seen many decrying the folly of government picking winners in business.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The folly of fake coins Counterfeit coins have long been a thorn in the side of the numismatic world and federal authorities.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 29 Aug. 2025
His style is Olympian on the surface, the ironic detachment of his pictures casting a cold, curious eye at humanity’s follies and derangements.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025
The past week has seen many decrying the folly of government picking winners in business.
—Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
The folly of fake coins Counterfeit coins have long been a thorn in the side of the numismatic world and federal authorities.
—Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folly
Noun
-
Johnson had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, the outlets reported.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The gunman was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent decades at a mental hospital before he was released in 2016 and freed from court restrictions in 2022.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Also along for the ride is Anthony Carrigan as the enigmatic Bodie, dragged into the fray as the mystery unravels into madness.—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
-
That’s because just two weeks separate the regular season from October madness, and MLB’s playoff race could not be more chaotic.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Every four years, we are told that this is the most important election in history, which is a lot of errant nonsense.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This type of nonsense from [in-laws] is what wears on you over the years.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But coming from Alexander Karp, the CEO and cofounder of Palantir Technologies, this concern-trolling about a growing censoriousness in ‘the culture’ feels almost intentional in its absurdity.—
Book Marks
September 11,
Literary Hub,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The result is an absurdity that can elicit instinctual laughter at the grossest imagery imaginable.—
Robert Niles,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This means that all of the orders a seller receives can now benefit from the speed, reliability, and simplicity of Amazon's fulfillment—with MCF fulfilling millions more orders quickly and reliably year-over-year.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Categories that don’t deliver on validation, simplicity and palatability often struggle to scale.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Heck, maybe its sheer stupidity.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Trying to move in earlier to accommodate a pittance of an audience is mind boggling stupidity.—
Pol Ballus,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But my naivete and idiocy about what this was going to take was staggering to me just six months later.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Not so much by her response as by my own foolishness.—
Rachel Kushner,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
-
The foolishness of the governor’s gibe was underscored by the progressive, staunchly anti-Trump Democratic mayor of San Jose.—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share