fool

1
[ fool ]
See synonyms for: foolfooledfoolingfools on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a silly or stupid person; a person who lacks judgment or sense.

  2. a professional jester, formerly kept by a person of royal or noble rank for amusement: the court fool.

  1. a person who has been tricked or deceived into appearing or acting silly or stupid: to make a fool of someone.

  2. an ardent enthusiast who cannot resist an opportunity to indulge an enthusiasm (usually preceded by a present participle): He's just a dancing fool.

  3. a weak-minded or idiotic person.

verb (used with object)
  1. to trick, deceive, or impose on: They tried to fool him.

verb (used without object)
  1. to act like a fool; joke; play.

  2. to jest; pretend; make believe: I was only fooling.

Verb Phrases
  1. fool around,

    • to putter aimlessly; waste time: She fooled around all through school.

    • to philander or flirt.

    • to be sexually promiscuous, especially to engage in adultery.

  2. fool away, to spend foolishly, as time or money; squander: to fool away the entire afternoon.

  1. fool with, to handle or play with idly or carelessly: to be hurt while fooling with a loaded gun; to fool with someone's affections.

Idioms about fool

  1. be nobody's fool, to be wise or shrewd.

Origin of fool

1
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English fol, fool, from Old French fol, from Latin follis “bellows, bag”; cf. follis

Other words for fool

Opposites for fool

Other words from fool

  • un·fooled, adjective
  • un·fool·ing, adjective
  • well-fooled, adjective

Words Nearby fool

Other definitions for fool (2 of 2)

fool2
[ fool ]

nounBritish Cooking.
  1. a dish made of fruit, scalded or stewed, crushed and mixed with cream or the like: gooseberry fool.

Origin of fool

2
First recorded in 1590–1600; probably special use of fool1;cf. trifle (in the sense “a dessert consisting of custard and cake”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use fool in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for fool (1 of 2)

fool1

/ (fuːl) /


noun
  1. a person who lacks sense or judgement

  2. a person who is made to appear ridiculous

  1. (formerly) a professional jester living in a royal or noble household

  2. obsolete an idiot or imbecile: the village fool

  3. form the fool Caribbean to play the fool or behave irritatingly

  4. no fool a wise or sensible person

  5. play the fool or act the fool to deliberately act foolishly; indulge in buffoonery

verb
  1. (tr) to deceive (someone), esp in order to make him or her look ridiculous

  2. (intr; foll by with, around with, or about with) informal to act or play (with) irresponsibly or aimlessly: to fool around with a woman

  1. (intr) to speak or act in a playful, teasing, or jesting manner

  2. (tr foll by away) to squander; fritter: he fooled away a fortune

  3. fool along US to move or proceed in a leisurely way

adjective
  1. informal short for foolish

Origin of fool

1
C13: from Old French fol mad person, from Late Latin follis empty-headed fellow, from Latin: bellows; related to Latin flāre to blow

British Dictionary definitions for fool (2 of 2)

fool2

/ (fuːl) /


noun
  1. mainly British a dessert made from a purée of fruit with cream or custard: gooseberry fool

Origin of fool

2
C16: perhaps from fool 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with fool

fool

In addition to the idioms beginning with fool

  • fool and his money are soon parted, a
  • fool around
  • fool away
  • fools rush in where angels fear to tread

also see:

  • make a fool of
  • nobody's fool
  • no fool like an old fool
  • not suffer fools gladly
  • play the fool
  • take for (a fool)

Also see underfoolish.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.