foolish
- 01 B1 Intermediate
acting without good sense or making a choice that is not smart.
demonstrating a lack of good judgement or prudence; often used to describe specific actions or decisions that lead to negative consequences.
Simple“It would be foolish to go outside in the storm without a coat.”
In context“The investors realized too late that it was foolish to commit so much capital to a project with no clear path to profitability.”
PitfallIt was foolish from him to leave. It was foolish of him to leave.When describing a person's character through their action, use 'of' followed by the person.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
looking or acting silly in a way that makes people laugh or feel embarrassed.
resembling or characteristic of a fool; often used when someone feels embarrassed or looks ridiculous to others.
Simple“He felt foolish when he realized he was wearing two different shoes.”
In context“She felt incredibly foolish standing on the stage after forgetting the opening lines of her presentation.”
Synonyms
From Middle English folisch; equivalent to fool + -ish.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.