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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foolish
And some stupid Republicans, and foolish Republicans, fall into the net.
—
ABC News, 20 July 2025
Teens in slashers are, after all, a bit notorious for being foolish.
—EW.com, 19 July 2025
The Marlins would be foolish to trade away an ace with affordable team control at his lowest value ever.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
Schulman’s characters make enough foolish and self-indulgent choices to fill a volume twice the size of this slim one.
—Book Marks
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolish
ABC News, 20 July 2025
Teens in slashers are, after all, a bit notorious for being foolish.
—EW.com, 19 July 2025
The Marlins would be foolish to trade away an ace with affordable team control at his lowest value ever.
—Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025
Schulman’s characters make enough foolish and self-indulgent choices to fill a volume twice the size of this slim one.
—Book Marks
july 11, Literary Hub, 11 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolish
Adjective
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Mia promises not to ask for help or do anything stupid.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
1 Aug. 2025
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If the producers manage to create another roof moment, Torin and his stupid little hats are cooked.—
Olivia Crandall,
Vulture,
1 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
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From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter and garlic and mix well.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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Beyond providing an invitation for music-curious Austinites to come explore the clubs, the festival offers a lifeline to musicians and venues during the slow summer season, when small clubs that support emerging artists face some of their greatest challenges.—
Mars Salazar,
Austin American Statesman,
25 July 2025
Adjective
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There were no costumes, no silly dances or hit parodies.—
Courtney Devores,
Charlotte Observer,
28 July 2025
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That may sound silly to some, Foster said, but the work done by the Environmental Protection Agency in placing bands on birds and following the migration of bees informs officials about the impact of projects on the environment.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Sony and Microsoft and the PC world can keep playing the cutting-edge hardware competition while Nintendo luxuriates in its bizarre boutique silo, unbothered, moisturized, in its lane, consistently content with winning its own solo race.—
Mitch Wallace,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
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President Donald Trump shared a bizarre meme Saturday morning depicting himself and Vice President JD Vance chasing former President Barack Obama in an altered photo from O.J. Simpson’s infamous white Bronco police chase.—
Muri Assunção,
New York Daily News,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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The club insisted Isak was left behind because of a minor thigh problem but The Athletic reported on Thursday sources, speaking anonymously as they were not authorised to do so publicly, indicated the forward favoured being omitted amid his uncertain future.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
26 July 2025
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More Songs is, in effect, Eno’s debut as a capital-P producer, notwithstanding some minor early efforts and, of course, David Bowie’s landmark sessions for Low and Heroes.—
Will Hermes,
Rolling Stone,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Marketing and advertising have undergone a similar shift from mad men to math men.—
Kian Bakhtiari,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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People are very, very confused, and some people are very disappointed and mad.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 July 2025
Adjective
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Amanda learned in like 10 seconds, which is insane.—
Scott Roxborough,
The Hollywood Reporter,
24 Mar. 2025
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The emu egg—a two pound, eight-inch ovoid with a sultry teal shell gently speckled in pale green—seemed like just the right absurdist final flourish for an already insane endeavor.—
Helen Rosner,
The New Yorker,
23 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolish. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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