foolhardy

[ fool-hahr-dee ]

adjective

, fool·har·di·er, fool·har·di·est.

1. recklessly or thoughtlessly bold; foolishly rash or venturesome.

   Synonyms: incautious, heedless, headlong, impetuous

foolhardy

/ ˈfuːlˌhɑːdɪ /

adjective

1. heedlessly rash or adventurous

Derived Forms

• ˈfoolˌhardiness, noun
• ˈfoolˌhardily, adverb

Other Words From

• foolhardi·ly adverb
• foolhardi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of foolhardy¹

1175–1225; Middle English folhardy < Old French fol hardi. See fool ¹, hardy ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of foolhardy¹

C13: from Old French fol hardi , from fol foolish + hardi bold

Example Sentences

It would be foolhardy to end the program without ensuring that we remain safe from attack.

From The Daily Beast

Be it safe, be it foolhardy, Snapchat appears to be on fire.

From The Daily Beast

So there you have it, folks, several foolhardy techniques to fill out your brackets and make a run at office immortality.

From The Daily Beast

Esposito is a loose canon, brash, foolhardy, and possibly crooked.

From The Daily Beast

What if they did something impulsive and young and foolhardy?

From The Daily Beast

It was held to be certain death to climb to its summit, and foolhardy in the extreme to go far up its sides.

From Project Gutenberg

But the ruling party at Dinant were so foolhardy as to declare war against Namur.

From Project Gutenberg

But when they gave ground quickly, as if in a panic, it was to tempt the foolhardy into rushing forward.

From Project Gutenberg

But my own life is worth something to me and I have a right to tell you that you are taking foolhardy chances.

From Project Gutenberg

To have attempted to ride alone on horseback in those days would have been a foolhardy, if not a fatal undertaking.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• adventurous
• audacious
• bold
• daring
• imprudent
• irresponsible
• reckless