1
: having or showing a lack of good sense, judgment, or discretion
a foolish mistake
She takes foolish risks.
2
a
: absurd, ridiculous
He looked foolish in that hat.
b
: marked by a loss of composure : nonplussed
He felt foolish when he couldn't remember where he had parked the car.
3
foolishly
adverb
Examples of foolish in a Sentence
He was wearing a foolish grin.
She's been taking foolish risks.
Those flashy clothes make her look foolish.
She must feel foolish wearing those flashy clothes.
I never thought you'd be foolish enough to believe him.
Recent Examples on the Web
And this is not a story of corporate greed run amok, because Walmart would be foolish to try to gouge its customers at a time when economic anxiety is high (more on that in a moment).
—
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
Peters said the training from Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology has helped credit union employees to better frame probing questions that will get a positive response without making members feel foolish.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Expecting McCarthy to produce anywhere near the level Mahomes did would be foolish.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 13 May 2025
There is a difference between quixotic and foolish.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 16 May 2025
Peters said the training from Wayne State's Institute of Gerontology has helped credit union employees to better frame probing questions that will get a positive response without making members feel foolish.
—Susan Tompor, USA Today, 15 May 2025
Expecting McCarthy to produce anywhere near the level Mahomes did would be foolish.
—Alec Lewis, New York Times, 13 May 2025
There is a difference between quixotic and foolish.
—Ilan Stavans, The Atlantic, 15 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foolish
Cite this Entry
“Foolish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foolish. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share