ENGLISH
REFERENCE

fooling

v.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfuɫɪŋ// UK //fˈuːlɪŋ// fool·ing

v. tricking someone into believing something that is not true. You often do this as a joke or to get what you want.

v. the present participle of 'fool'; refers to the act of deceiving or tricking someone, often for amusement or to gain an advantage.


SIMPLE

I was only fooling when I said I was moving away.

CONTEXTUAL

He thought he was fooling everyone with his disguise, but his voice gave him away immediately.

COMPLEX

The con artist spent months fooling the investors into believing the startup was profitable, using falsified documents and staged demonstrations to maintain the illusion.

Synonyms
Usage

Often used in the continuous form to describe a current state of deception or joking.

Pitfall

He is fooling of meHe is fooling meThe verb 'fool' is transitive and takes a direct object without a preposition.

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