folly

[ fol-ee ]

noun

, plural fol·lies

1. the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense.
2. a foolish action, practice, idea, etc.; absurdity:

   the folly of performing without a rehearsal.

   Synonyms: injudiciousness, foolishness, rashness, imprudence, lunacy, madness, indiscretion, mistake

3. a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure.
4. Architecture. a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found especially in England in the 18th century.
5. follies, a theatrical revue.
6. Obsolete. wickedness; wantonness.

folly

/ ˈfɒlɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being foolish; stupidity; rashness
2. a foolish action, mistake, idea, etc
3. a building in the form of a castle, temple, etc, built to satisfy a fancy or conceit, often of an eccentric kind
4. plural theatre an elaborately costumed revue
5. archaic.
   1. evil; wickedness
   2. lewdness; wantonness

Other Words From

• super·folly noun plural superfollies

Word History and Origins

Origin of folly¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English folie, from Old French, derivative of fol, fou “foolish, mad”; equivalent to fool ¹ + -y ³( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of folly¹

C13: from Old French folie madness, from fou mad; see fool ¹

Example Sentences

It’s folly to look too far ahead in the NFL because injuries and circumstances can dramatically change the landscape from week to week.

From Los Angeles Times

He also correctly predicted that the war on terror would degenerate into folly, tragedy and war crimes, with a side order of corrupt contracting and bureaucratic empire-building.

From Salon

In 1999, his dismissal of Nato's military action in Yugoslavia as "unpardonable folly" was widely criticised.

From BBC

Salmond described the Nato action as "an act of dubious legality, but, above all, one of unpardonable folly" and was heavily criticised for his comments.

From BBC

Carsley’s courage in attempting it was commendable but from the first whistle it was exposed as folly.

From BBC

Related Words

• absurdity
• craziness
• foolishness
• idiocy
• indiscretion
• lunacy
• madness
• recklessness
• silliness
• stupidity

More About Folly

What does folly mean?

A folly is a foolish action. Follies can refer to various unwise practices, buildings with a purely ornamental purpose, or cabaret-style theatrical revues featuring lots of beautiful, dancing women.

Where does folly come from?

The word folly dates back to the early 13th century, originally meaning “foolishness” or “unwise conduct.” It comes from a French word meaning “mad,” as in “deranged.” In its plural form, follies has referred to “absurdities” since at least the 1400s.

By the 1650s, a folly referred to buildings considered too whimsical, overly expensive, or impractical. In the 18th and 19th centuries, some follies were constructed in Europe as ornamental structures reminiscent of antiquity; others, as in Ireland, were built to provide employment for laborers during famines, such as Connolly’s Folly.

By the 1880s, follies referred to an extravagant theatrical production featuring beautiful women. They were inspired by the Parisian Folies Bergère, which were over-the-top cabaret productions that began in 1872 and continue today. A noted example of the follies was the Ziegfeld Follies, which ran on Broadway from 1907 to 1936 and featured the famed Ziegfeld girls.

How is folly used in real life?

Foolish, impractical behavior is often described as a folly. The unusual, impractical architectural follies built in Ireland have become off-beat tourist attractions.

Theatrical follies have seen something of a renaissance with the 2017 revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1971 musical Follies at the Royal National Theatre in London. The show tells the story of the demolition of the fictional Weismann Theatre and the reunion of the showgirls of the Weismann Follies. The production was a smash hit, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival in 2018.

I swear to god if people saw me lip syncing to the 2018 follies cast recording I’d have an agent

— Isaac Savage (@isaacsavage01) January 19, 2019

More examples of folly:

“This new cast recording for #Follies from @NationalTheatre is everything. Perfection.”
—@hanskig88, January 2019

“If Aberdeenshire councillors press ahead with this decision they will have learned nothing from the folly of Angus Council. My ward borders Angus and I see for myself how formerly busy car parks are now lying empty in a council concocted wasteland.”
—Leigh Wilson quoted by Graeme Strachan, The Courier, January 2019

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.