foolhardy

adjective

ˈfül-ˌhär-dē How to pronounce foolhardy (audio)
Definition of foolhardynext
1
as in reckless
foolishly adventurous or bold hikers who were foolhardy enough to remain on the summit during a thunderstorm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in daring
having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions it's foolhardy to go hiking during late fall without warm clothes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective foolhardy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of foolhardy are adventurous, daredevil, daring, rash, reckless, and venturesome. While all these words mean "exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense," foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Where would adventurous be a reasonable alternative to foolhardy?

The meanings of adventurous and foolhardy largely overlap; however, adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

When is daredevil a more appropriate choice than foolhardy?

The words daredevil and foolhardy can be used in similar contexts, but daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

When would daring be a good substitute for foolhardy?

The words daring and foolhardy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

When might rash be a better fit than foolhardy?

In some situations, the words rash and foolhardy are roughly equivalent. However, rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

When can reckless be used instead of foolhardy?

While in some cases nearly identical to foolhardy, reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

When is it sensible to use venturesome instead of foolhardy?

While the synonyms venturesome and foolhardy are close in meaning, venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

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 foolhardy Postponing feels impossible and going ahead feels foolhardy. —Jeffrey Seller, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2025 At that point, $2,500 for a couple’s night out with theater, drinks and dinner might look pretty foolhardy. —Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2025 But the assumption of massive demand has proven foolhardy. —Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025 His flashiest assists were offset by foolhardy turnovers. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foolhardy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolhardy
  1. reckless
  2. daring
  3. courageous
  4. brave
  5. daredevil
  6. adventurous
Adjective
  • Keep an open mind, as an erratic square between Mars and Uranus on June 15 could shake things up in unpredictable ways and result in some reckless behavior.
    — Valerie Mesa, People.com, 6 June 2025
  • The girl’s 47-year-old stepmom is charged with child endangerment and reckless endangerment by discharging a firearm from within a motor vehicle, Shelby County court records show.
    — Olivia Lloyd, Charlotte Observer, 6 June 2025
Definition of reckless
Adjective
  • His career was built around the principles that a great idea can come from anywhere, a box office triumph is meant to be shared by an entire team and our creative choices need to be bold and daring.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 June 2025
  • The Russian missile attack on Ukraine comes days after Ukraine’s security service launched a series of daring, large-scale drone attacks deep into Russia, striking airfields and hitting 41 Russian military aircrafts.
    — Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
Definition of daring
Adjective
  • Very courageous of his elderly owner to part with him to ensure he was delivered into caring and loving hands.
    — Rachael O'Connor, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 June 2025
  • This month, a group of courageous plaintiffs took their fight for fairness to federal court, filing a civil rights lawsuit to hold California accountable.
    — Tri Ta, Oc Register, 13 June 2025
Definition of courageous
Adjective
  • The most beautiful, kind, wise, brave, powerful people in my life.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 11 June 2025
  • His range, from adventurous spirit to lovestruck teen to brave hero, plays across his face with ease.
    — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 10 June 2025
Definition of brave
Adjective
  • Not even the endless crowing about this daredevil feat in the marketing campaign leading up to the Cannes Film Festival premiere (and the movie’s release on May 23rd) can suck the exhilaration and sense of awe of watching this extended jaunt through the wild blue yonder.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 May 2025
  • Then there was the subplot of a daredevil robot named Saymo who broke up with his girlfriend in front of a crowd on a studio lot, then tried to roll off a ramp and fly over a car.
    — Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Definition of daredevil
Adjective
  • The dancer dreams of one day starting a travel TV show with his adventurous pup, on which they ping-pong around the world, helping to rescue stray animals and exploring the dances and cultures of other countries.
    — Kelli Bender, People.com, 6 June 2025
  • For one thing: Bruce Springsteen heard Church’s new album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, an adventurous project that introduces orchestral and choral sounds to Church’s rebellious brand of country music.
    — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
Definition of adventurous

Browse Nearby Words

foolhardiness
foolhardy
fooling
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foolhardy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolhardy. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on foolhardy

Nglish: Translation of foolhardy for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

10 Hella Good U.S. Regionalisms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

8 Words for the Wordy and Talking Too Much

How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All