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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of foolishness
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
For instance, there is only a tiny difference between stubbornness and perseverance or between courage and foolishness.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 21 Oct. 2024
There is a cacophony of foolishness being spouted by those advocating for the EV transition and by those denouncing it.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2023
Depressed and cowed by his wife, Michael comes across as naïve to the point of foolishness, and there are moments when his haplessness is played for laughs.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
For instance, there is only a tiny difference between stubbornness and perseverance or between courage and foolishness.
—Brendan Leonard, Outside Online, 21 Oct. 2024
There is a cacophony of foolishness being spouted by those advocating for the EV transition and by those denouncing it.
—IEEE Spectrum, 28 Mar. 2023
Depressed and cowed by his wife, Michael comes across as naïve to the point of foolishness, and there are moments when his haplessness is played for laughs.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 19 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolishness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foolishness
Noun
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Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan ruled last week that Elkins did kill her children, but was not guilty by reason of insanity, the Ashbury Park Press reported.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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The court ruled that although Elkins did kill her children, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity, the outlet and NBC10 Philadelphia reported.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Just ask anyone who's watched an AI confidently spit out nonsense—or worse.—
Bob Ras,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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While Drop, clocking in at an economical 93 minutes, may sound like fun and games, there’s something deeper and more human at its core than mindless nonsense.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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From the foothills of the Berkshires arises a venerable strain of American madness, the poetry of hokum—the old weird America of medicine shows and travelling circuses and carnivals.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
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The chaos has Americans and the world wondering whether there’s a method behind the apparent madness.—
Laurent Belsie,
Christian Science Monitor,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Trump himself personifies stupidity’s essential feature — self-satisfaction, an inability to recognize the flaws in your thinking.—
David Brooks,
Mercury News,
16 Apr. 2025
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These deaths come on the heels of the equally bizarre and jarring death of Adult Lottie (Simone Kessell) which brings us to four adult survivors dead, though Adult Travis died offscreen (sparking a really fascinating mystery that ended in sheer stupidity and disappointment).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The iPhone 17 Air is rumored to measure around 5.5mm in thickness.—
Prakhar Khanna,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
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Quilted or padded cloth playmats range in thickness between 0.2 and 0.8 inches.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Resembling in color a smooth pebble after heavy rains, the calfskin leather holder has but one compartment and one back pocket — taking it back to the basics and accentuating simplicity.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2025
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That simplicity feels so apt for this show, There's enough here: The production is simple and sweet, while Jonas and Warren exude a certain magnetism.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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But cuteness adds a touch of whimsical absurdity that further defangs the power hungry.—
Yii-Jan Lin,
The Conversation,
11 Apr. 2025
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The show pursues this dream to the point of absurdity, holding out hope for Serena’s absolution long past the point when a reasonable observer would have abandoned it.—
Moira Donegan,
New Yorker,
11 Apr. 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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Vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, kale and asparagus are also included in most low-carb diets—as are eggs, cheese, Greek yogurt and nuts like walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts and pistachios.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foolishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foolishness. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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