1
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
foolish people who thought that the world would end in the year 2000 a foolish scheme that was supposed to make us all rich
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in absurd
conceived or made without regard for reason or reality
foolish attempts to construct a perpetual motion machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in small
lacking importance
the current regulations are cluttered with foolish details that are unnecessarily burdensome
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foolish
Black people cast and produced to look stupid and foolish as standard operating procedure.
—
Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Each residence is just steps away from the beach, so close that putting on shoes would be foolish.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
But Cash’s most original and engaging writing is slightly out of step with reality and bleakly funny, devoted to wordplay and willing to be foolish about it.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
The good, the great and the foolish.
—FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
Each residence is just steps away from the beach, so close that putting on shoes would be foolish.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
But Cash’s most original and engaging writing is slightly out of step with reality and bleakly funny, devoted to wordplay and willing to be foolish about it.
—Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2026
The good, the great and the foolish.
—FOXNews.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolish
Adjective
-
But maybe Johnson isn’t stupid.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Such as the one where the candidate remarked that some white rural Americans were stupid and racist.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Straight men, in particular, are only talked about, kept in the background, or appearing as authority figures trying to uphold absurd laws and traditions.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Pepsi’s chart is absurd and someone’s going to look stupid when the momentum fades.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Caudle told The Associated Press in a recent interview that his vision is to deploy smaller, newer ships when possible instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The small edit stood out for its playful party spirit and the brand was instantly associated to a sense of fun and maximalism unusual in the Scandinavian fashion scene.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Don’t feel silly asking at the ski shop.—
Moira McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Walker offers this diagnosis himself, leeringly dismissing Pearl as a silly mommy, awash with hormones, mildly and minorly hysterical.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
In a bizarre twist, Sweden’s Sara Hector and Norway’s Thea Louise Stjernesund skied identical times — down to the hundredth of a second — in the morning and afternoon to tie for silver.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2026
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Of all the Manhattan’s children—and there are many—the Harvard Cocktail is perhaps the most bizarre.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
After acquiring veteran pitcher Mitch Spence from the Athletics on Thursday, the Royals stayed busy Friday by signing lefty pitcher John Means to a minor-league deal.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The driver, who was believed to have had a medical emergency prior to the accident, was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.—
Nicole Buss,
Sacbee.com,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Pederson is something of a mad scientist with bats.—
Evan Grant,
Dallas Morning News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Emily Brontë’s beloved novel has been driving people mad since the project was first announced.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Last week, the wind-power green scam artists were back in federal court, arguing to be permitted to keep squandering billions more on those insane offshore windmills that produce next to no energy, but plenty of pollution.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
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That’s the best reaction to these stupid, insane men ruling the world now and trying to grab and dominate the world.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolish. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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