Comprehensive
Dictionary Suite
Help
Help
Help
 
     
Lookup History
fool

fool

 
 
pronunciation:
ful
parts of speech:
noun, transitive verb, intransitive verb, adjective
phrases:
fool around, fool away, nobody's fool
features:
Word Combinations (noun, verb), Word History, Word Explorer
part of speech: noun
definition 1: one who lacks good sense, judgment or comprehension, or who fails to display these qualities on a specific occasion.
You were a fool to invest your money in that get-rich-quick scheme.
synonyms:
chump, dolt, half-wit, idiot, knucklehead, ninny, nitwit, numskull, simpleton, tomfool
similar words:
ass, blockhead, booby, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, ignoramus, imbecile, nincompoop, oaf, sap
definition 2: one who has been or is likely to be deceived, imposed upon, or made to look silly.
He's a fool who can't even see that his wife is being unfaithful to him.
synonyms:
dupe, gull, sucker
similar words:
butt, gudgeon, half-wit, laughingstock, pigeon, sap, simpleton, sitting duck
definition 3: one employed to entertain by acting comically and foolishly, as formerly in royal or noble households; jester.
The king called for his fool.
synonyms:
jester
similar words:
buffoon, clown, harlequin, merry-andrew
definition 4: one who has an unreasonable enthusiasm for some activity.
I'm a fool for any kind of sports.He's a working fool.
synonyms:
fanatic
similar words:
buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan, votary
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
phrase: nobody's fool
 
part of speech: transitive verb
inflections: fools, fooling, fooled
definition 1: to dupe or deceive.
You're not fooling me with that excuse!The trick was carried out so well that it fooled everyone in the audience.
synonyms:
deceive, dupe, hoodwink, kid, spoof, trick
similar words:
bamboozle, bluff, cheat, con, cozen, gull, hoax, mislead, mock, rogue, swindle
definition 2: to surprise or prove wrong.
I'd thought he was just an average kid, but he fooled me; he was really quite brilliant.
synonyms:
surprise
phrase: fool away
 
part of speech: intransitive verb
definition 1: to pretend, as to some unintended purpose or objective.
He threatened to jump off the ledge, but he was only fooling.
synonyms:
fake, feign, make believe, pretend
similar words:
counterfeit, playact, sham
definition 2: to act without serious purpose or objective (usu. fol. by "around" or "about").
They were fooling around when they should have been working.
synonyms:
lollygag, mess around
similar words:
dally, fiddle around, frolic, play, putter, trifle
definition 3: to handle something idly or carelessly (usu. fol. by "with").
He fooled with the gun and accidentally shot himself in the foot.
synonyms:
meddle, mess, monkey, tamper
similar words:
toy, trifle
definition 4: to act or speak stupidly or in jest; play the fool; joke.
She was still angry at what he said even though he told her he'd just been fooling.It's hard to take him seriously when he's always fooling.
synonyms:
jest, joke
similar words:
clown around, horse around, josh, kid
Word CombinationsSubscriber feature About this feature
 
part of speech: adjective
definition: (informal) lacking good sense; silly; foolish.
He got a fool notion to tease the rattlesnake.
synonyms:
foolish, idiotic, silly
similar words:
asinine, brainless, crackbrained, senseless, stupid, unwise
phrase: fool around
Word History
Fool comes from follis, a Latin word that means "bellows" or "leather bag." Later, it came to be used for an empty-headed person.
Word Explorer
See
  belief, character, personality