ENGLISH
REFERENCE

foolishness

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈfuɫɪʃnəs// UK //fˈuːlɪʃnəs// fool·ish·ness

n. the quality of being silly or not showing good judgment. It can also mean a stupid act or a lack of wisdom.

n. the quality of lacking good sense or judgement; unwise or imprudent behaviour. Refers to both the abstract state of being unwise and specific instances of silly actions.


SIMPLE

His foolishness cost him a lot of money.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager regretted the foolishness of ignoring the early warning signs before the project failed.

COMPLEX

While some dismissed his risky investment as pure foolishness, others saw it as a calculated gamble that simply failed to account for an unpredictable market shift.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Middle English folishnesse, follissnesse, equivalent to foolish + -ness.

Usage

Often used with the preposition 'of' to describe a specific person's lack of judgement.

© 2026 English Reference