foolish
[ foo-lish ]
/ ˈfu lɪʃ /
adjective
resulting from or showing a lack of sense; ill-considered; unwise: a foolish action, a foolish speech.
lacking forethought or caution.
trifling, insignificant, or paltry.
Origin of foolish
SYNONYMS FOR foolish
1, 2
senseless,
vacant,
vapid,
simple,
witless.
Foolish,
fatuous,
silly,
inane,
stupid,
asinine imply weakness of intellect and lack of judgment.
Foolish implies lack of common sense or good judgment or, sometimes, weakness of mind:
a foolish decision; The child seems foolish.
Fatuous implies being not only foolish, dull, and vacant in mind, but complacent and highly self-satisfied as well:
fatuous and self-important; fatuous answers.
Silly denotes extreme and conspicuous foolishness; it may also refer to pointlessness of jokes, remarks, etc.:
silly and senseless behavior; a perfectly silly statement.
Inane applies to silliness that is notably lacking in content, sense, or point:
inane questions that leave one no reply.
Stupid implies natural slowness or dullness of intellect, or, sometimes, a benumbed or dazed state of mind; it is also used to mean foolish or silly:
well-meaning but stupid; rendered stupid by a blow; It is stupid to do such a thing.
Asinine originally meant like an ass; it applies to witlessly stupid conversation or conduct and suggests a lack of social grace or perception:
He failed to notice the reaction to his asinine remarks.
1 imprudent, unreasonable, foolhardy, irrational; thoughtless, nonsensical, ridiculous, absurd, pointless, preposterous.
OTHER WORDS FROM foolish
Words nearby foolish
Example sentences from the Web for foolish
British Dictionary definitions for foolish
foolish
/ (ˈfuːlɪʃ) /
adjective
unwise; silly
resulting from folly or stupidity
ridiculous or absurd; not worthy of consideration
weak-minded; simple
an archaic word for insignificant
Derived forms of foolish
foolishly, adverb foolishness, nounIdioms and Phrases with foolish
foolish
see penny wise and pound foolish.