1
as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
the foolishness of going off to search for the fountain of youth
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
couldn't listen to another second of their foolishness, so I told them to be quiet
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in stupidness
the quality or state of lacking intelligence or quickness of mind
you didn't fail the test because of any innate foolishness but because of a lack of preparation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foolishness
Making any judgements about the actual validity of their complaints is the height of foolishness right now, with so much legal process runway still ahead.
—
James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2025
Fonseca got tough and the line between bravery and foolishness, at times, became imperceptible.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The problem is not the companies but the system, whose foolishness is very clear to those, like me, who have spent decades abroad.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
The Lakers were, again, the Lakers — the version from early this season that made optimism seem nothing like foolishness.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Feb. 2025
Fonseca got tough and the line between bravery and foolishness, at times, became imperceptible.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
The problem is not the companies but the system, whose foolishness is very clear to those, like me, who have spent decades abroad.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
The Lakers were, again, the Lakers — the version from early this season that made optimism seem nothing like foolishness.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
Noun
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Sending yet another one back to City Hall would be the definition of insanity.—
Whitney Tilson,
New York Daily News,
5 June 2025
-
Alissa pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but he was found competent to stand trial in 2023 after spending time at a mental hospital.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Beyond that, the show is mostly content to amble along, loping toward the green and from time to time indulging in odd bits of nonsense.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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Yet Towns has proven, one moment at a time, that reputation, that narrative is a bunch of nonsense.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
31 May 2025
Noun
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As Scott stumbles through a chaotic weekend, Neil proves a ride-or-die friend who may be the only sane voice in the madness of wedding season.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
30 May 2025
-
Once again, the film is about the anguish of losing a loved one and the the desire to connect with the dead one more time, the annihilating madness of grief driving a person to unspeakable ends.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2025
Noun
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To critics, the obvious answer would be ego, stubbornness or just plain stupidity.—
Robert Pearl,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
Head shots that are not even minor penalties according to an official is just blatant stupidity.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
While there are certainly products that can be used across different hair textures, lengths, curl patterns, thicknesses, colors (natural and unnatural), and needs, hair products are often created with specific consumers in mind.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
5 June 2025
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The dial and movement are housed in a 40mm 316L polished stainless steel case with a thickness of 14.90mm.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Conduct an internal discovery and simplicity audit.—
Deanna Laster,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2025
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While a game like No Man's Sky, with its procedural generation and ambition, might be more stunning, there's something uniquely charming and satisfying about the simplicity of Astroneer.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
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The violence is always relentless, always builds, to a point of absurdity, where exaggeration becomes the point, and the joke.—
Armond White,
National Review,
11 June 2025
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Of all the absurdity in these films, that’s your issue?—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 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
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Without that pollination, almond trees produce only 200 pounds of nuts per acre.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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