TOMFOOLERY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does tomfoolery mean? 

• TOMFOOLERY (noun)
  The noun TOMFOOLERY has 1 sense:

1. foolish or senseless behavior

  Familiarity information: TOMFOOLERY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• TOMFOOLERY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Foolish or senseless behavior

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

craziness; folly; foolery; indulgence; lunacy; tomfoolery

Hypernyms ("tomfoolery" is a kind of...):

caper; frolic; gambol; play; romp (gay or light-hearted recreational activity for diversion or amusement)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "tomfoolery"):

meshugaas; mishegaas; mishegoss ((Yiddish) craziness; senseless behavior or activity)

buffoonery; clowning; frivolity; harlequinade; japery; prank (acting like a clown or buffoon)

 Context examples 

“If you know anything, you can surely say it without all this tomfoolery.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We are in a civilised land here, and we can’t have tomfoolery of this kind.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)