1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of folly
The folly of his autogolpe, or self-coup, shouldn’t disguise the fact that South Korean politics requires urgent reform.
—
Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 June 2025
Israel’s war with Iran is over Unfortunately, the history of foreign policy and military mistakes shows the folly of assuming one’s opponents will behave as desired.
—Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Harry Macklowe’s folly could end up providing the ultimate test in the conflict between wealth and the code.
—Andrew Rice, Curbed, 26 June 2025
For decades, the notion of pro hockey in the stifling heat and humidity of South Florida was dismissed as pure folly, even though the region is full of northern transplants who love the sport.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Charlie Campbell, Time, 4 June 2025
Israel’s war with Iran is over Unfortunately, the history of foreign policy and military mistakes shows the folly of assuming one’s opponents will behave as desired.
—Michael Lynch, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Harry Macklowe’s folly could end up providing the ultimate test in the conflict between wealth and the code.
—Andrew Rice, Curbed, 26 June 2025
For decades, the notion of pro hockey in the stifling heat and humidity of South Florida was dismissed as pure folly, even though the region is full of northern transplants who love the sport.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folly
Noun
-
Kraepelin hoped that schizophrenia would eventually reveal itself to be a disease like neurosyphilis, which was then responsible for a large portion of the cases of insanity in psychiatry wards.—
Rachel Aviv,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
-
Way was nothing short of a force of nature in the role, bringing a mix of mania, terror and insanity to a character that felt straight out of the comic books he’s written.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
21 July 2025
Noun
-
Mid-season madness has officially started for the Colorado Rapids, less than a week before the MLS secondary transfer window opens.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
19 July 2025
-
Will the young girl in Horas Extras succumb to total madness?—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
Sarah mumbles some nonsense and changes the subject.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
28 July 2025
-
That’s the kind of unsupported nonsense Floridians should reject, without solid evidence to back it up.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 July 2025
Noun
-
Beneath the absurdity and punchlines lies a serious critique of how violence is packaged, sold, and consumed in American media.—
Marni Rose McFall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
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During the performance that shot her to fame earlier this month, Fan laid bare the absurdity facing many victims of domestic violence in the country.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
27 July 2025
Noun
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In uncertain markets, relevance, simplicity and clear value win.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
30 July 2025
-
The essence of the review is evaluation, which of course doesn’t imply the crude simplicity of a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Some things are too important to leave behind — like, for instance, the notion that stupidity can be a beautiful force for good, and not just an infinite fuel supply for evil.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
30 July 2025
-
In the end, Haslam’s emphasis on American stupidity is as convincing as his absolute strictures against a moral foreign policy, which in any event isn’t delegitimized by the errors of the likes of Biden and McFaul.—
Samuel Moyn,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
Noun
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Much odder is that red states aren’t taking the blue states up on an arrangement that to some degree erects a fence around economic foolishness.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Such utter foolishness, by another blind leading the blind, liberal democrat.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
10 June 2025
Noun
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Use it to find and retrieve stray nuts or bolts in any crevice.—
Nora Colomer,
FOXNews.com,
30 Mar. 2025
-
Incorporate it into mac and cheese for a creamy, nutty complement to Cheddar and Colby Jack, grate it on a box grater to add to pizza, or serve it alongside fruit and nuts on a charcuterie board.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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