ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fooled

v.
B1 Intermediate US //ˈfuɫd// UK //fˈuːld// fooled

v. to trick someone into believing something that is not true. You use this when someone makes you think a lie is a fact.

v. to deceive or trick someone into accepting a falsehood as truth. Often used in the passive voice to describe the state of being misled.


SIMPLE

He fooled me with his clever disguise.

CONTEXTUAL

The scammer fooled several people into giving him their bank details by pretending to be a police officer.

COMPLEX

Despite her skepticism, she was momentarily fooled by the realistic special effects in the documentary, which made the historical reenactments look like genuine archival footage.

Synonyms
Usage

The verb is transitive and takes a direct object; frequently appears in the passive form 'to be fooled'.

Pitfall

he was fool by the trickhe was fooled by the trickWhen used in the passive voice to describe being tricked, the past participle 'fooled' is required, not the noun 'fool'.

© 2026 English Reference