FOOLISH

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does foolish mean? 

• FOOLISH (adjective)
  The adjective FOOLISH has 2 senses:

1. devoid of good sense or judgment

2. having or revealing stupidity

  Familiarity information: FOOLISH used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FOOLISH (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Devoid of good sense or judgment

Context example:

a foolish decision

Similar:

absurd; cockeyed; derisory; idiotic; laughable; ludicrous; nonsensical; preposterous; ridiculous (so unreasonable as to invite derision)

mindless; vacuous (devoid of intelligence or thought)

goofy; silly; wacky; whacky; zany (ludicrous, foolish)

fond (absurd or silly because unlikely)

harebrained; insane; mad (very foolish)

ill-conceived; misguided (poorly conceived or thought out)

rattlebrained; rattlepated; scatterbrained; scatty (lacking sense or discretion)

unwise (showing or resulting from lack of judgment or wisdom)

Also:

inadvisable; unadvisable (not prudent or wise; not recommended)

ill-advised; unadvised (without careful prior deliberation or counsel)

impolitic (not politic)

imprudent (not prudent or wise)

Antonym:

wise (having or prompted by wisdom or discernment)

Derivation:

foolishness (the quality of being rash and foolish)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Having or revealing stupidity

Synonyms:

anserine; dopey; dopy; foolish; gooselike; goosey; goosy; jerky

Context example:

some fool idea about rewriting authors' books

Similar:

stupid (lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Derivation:

foolishness (the trait of acting stupidly or rashly)

 Context examples 

“How can you ask me anything so foolish?” pouted Dora.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Won't Laurie laugh? cried the family, all in one breath as they clustered about Jo, for these foolish, affectionate people made a jubilee of every little household joy.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

It will be within the recollection of many present, said Professor Challenger, that similar foolish and unmannerly scenes marked the last meeting at which I have been able to address them.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Any sacrifice that makes me lose one crawl or squirm is foolish,—and not only foolish, for it is a wrong against myself and a wicked thing.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Above all, shun the snares of women, for they are ever set for the foolish feet of the young.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

My dear sir, if you did anything so foolish you would probably enlarge the two limited titles of our village inns by giving us ‘The Dangling Prussian’ as a signpost.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I was a fool, if you like, and certainly I was going to do a foolish, over-bold act; but I was determined to do it with all the precautions in my power.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

I thought (foolish wretch!) that it might be in my power to restore happiness to these deserving people.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

You know the foolish pride which has always been the strongest part of my nature.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Enough of your foolish chatter, said the waggoner.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)