Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense fools, present participle fooling, past tense, past participle fooled
1. countable noun
If you call someone a fool, you are indicating that you think they are not at all sensible and show a lack of good judgment.
[disapproval]
'You fool!' she shouted.
He'd been a fool to get involved with her!
Synonyms: idiot, simpleton, mug [British, slang], berk [British, slang] More Synonyms of fool
2. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Fool is used to describe an action or person that is not at all sensible and shows a lack of good judgment.
[mainly US, informal, disapproval]
What a damn fool thing to do!
What can that fool guard be thinking of?
3. verb
If someone fools you, they deceive or trick you.
Art dealers fool a lot of people. [VERB noun]
Don't be fooled by his appearance. [beVERB-ed]
They tried to fool you into coming after us. [VERB noun + into]
Synonyms: deceive, cheat, mislead, delude More Synonyms of fool
4. verb
If you say that a person is fooling with something or someone, you mean that the way they are behaving is likely to cause problems.
What are you doing fooling with such a staggering sum of money? [VERB + with]
He kept telling her that here you did not fool with officials. [VERBwith noun]
5. countable noun [usually theNOUN]
In the courts of kings and queens in medieval Europe, thefool was the person whose job was to do silly things in order to make people laugh.
6. variable noun
Fool is a dessert made by mixing soft cooked fruit with whipped cream or with custard.
[British]
...gooseberry fool.
7.
See make a fool of someone
8.
See make a fool of yourself
9.
See more fool (you)
10.
See to play the fool
11. to suffer fools gladly
Phrasal verbs:
See fool about
See fool around
More Synonyms of fool
fool in British English1
(fuːl)
noun
1.
a person who lacks sense or judgment
2.
a person who is made to appear ridiculous
3.
(formerly) a professional jester living in a royal or noble household
4. obsolete
a person with a learning disability
5. form the fool
6. no fool
7. play the fool
verb
8. (transitive)
to deceive (someone), esp in order to make him or her look ridiculous
9. (intr; sometimes foll by with, around with, or about with) informal
to act or play (with) irresponsibly or aimlessly
fooling around in the classroom
10. (intransitive)
to speak or act in a playful, teasing, or jesting manner
11. (transitive; foll byaway)
to squander; fritter
he fooled away a fortune
12. fool along
adjective
13. informal short for foolish
Word origin
C13: from Old French fol mad person, from Late Latin follis empty-headed fellow, from Latin: bellows; related to Latin flāre to blow
fool in British English2
(fuːl)
noun
mainly British
a dessert made from a purée of fruit with cream or custard
gooseberry fool
Word origin
C16: perhaps from fool1
fool in American English1
(fuːl)
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
3.
a person who has been tricked or deceived into appearing or acting silly or stupid
to make a fool of someone
4. (usually prec. by a present participle)
an ardent enthusiast who cannot resist an opportunity to indulge an enthusiasm
He's just a dancing fool
5.
a weak-minded or unintelligent person
6. See be nobody's fool
transitive verb
7.
to trick, deceive, or impose on
They tried to fool him
intransitive verb
8.
to act like a fool; joke; play
9.
to jest; pretend; make believe
I was only fooling
10. See fool around
11. See fool away
12. See fool with
Word origin
[1225–75; ME fol, fool ‹ OF fol ‹ L follis bellows, bag; cf. follis]
fool in American English2
(fuːl)
noun
British Cookery
a dish made of fruit, scalded or stewed, crushed and mixed with cream or the like
gooseberry fool
Word origin
[1590–1600; prob. special use of fool1]
More idioms containing
fool
a fool and his money are soon parted
play someone for a fool
COBUILD Collocations
fool
complete fool
Examples of 'fool' in a sentence
fool
Let him play the fool and he shines.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The president looked a fool from that day on.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Go get some other fool to do that one.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This league regularly makes fools of us all.
The Sun (2016)
An inability to suffer fools gladly or desist from partisan argument left him vulnerable.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The idea that you can engagingly explain anything mathematical of worth in one gallery in a family museum is fooling people about the difficulty of the subject.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Looking back, during my thirties I became adept at fooling myself that appearance was not especially important.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You look such a fool when you take it out of your pocket.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
And we will not get fooled again.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It gave you pleasure to make fools of them.
The Sun (2006)
Yet one more way you fool people.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The ladders were disguised as bookshelves to fool the guards.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Only a fool could call these men losers.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He is devastatingly bright and does not suffer fools gladly.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
What sort of fools do you think we are?
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Bogarde was notoriously difficult to photograph and had a reputation for not suffering fools gladly.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is used to mean a mere fool without any indication of what its original meaning is.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
But those who oppose immigration should not be played for fools.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We are scared to look like a fool.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But sport can always make a fool of people.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Quotations
Fools rush in where angels fear to treadAlexander PopeAn Essay on Criticism
A fool and his words are soon partedWilliam ShenstoneWorks
A fool uttereth all his mindBible: Proverbs
I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so In whining poetryJohn DonneSongs and Sonnets
Be wise with speed; A fool at forty is a fool indeedEdward YoungThe Love of Fame
There's a sucker born every minutePhineas T. Barnum
You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all thetimeattributed to both Phineas T. Barnum and Abraham Lincoln
Natur never makes enny blunders. When she makes a phool she means itJosh BillingsJosh Billings' Wit and Humour
A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man seesWilliam BlakeThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell
If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wiseWilliam BlakeThe Marriage of Heaven and Hell
A knowledgeable fool is a greater fool than an ignorant foolMolièreLes Femmes Savantes
A fool and his money are soon parted
Fools build houses and wise men live in them
A fool may give a wise man counsel
Word lists with
fool
Types of entertainer, Shakespeare
In other languages
fool
British English: fool /fuːl/ NOUN
If you call someone a fool, you are indicating that you think they are not sensible and show a lack of good judgement.
`You fool!' she shouted.
American English: fool
Arabic: مُغَفَّل
Brazilian Portuguese: bobo
Chinese: 傻瓜
Croatian: budala
Czech: hlupák
Danish: tåbe
Dutch: dwaas
European Spanish: tonto idiota
Finnish: typerys
French: idiot
German: Narr
Greek: κορόιδο
Italian: buffone
Japanese: ばか者
Korean: 바보
Norwegian: dust
Polish: głupiec
European Portuguese: pateta
Romanian: prost
Russian: дурак
Latin American Spanish: tonto
Swedish: dumbom
Thai: คนโง่
Turkish: ahmak
Ukrainian: дурень
Vietnamese: đồ ngốc
British English: fool /fuːl/ VERB
If someone fools you, they deceive or trick you.
They tried to fool you into coming after us.
American English: fool
Arabic: يُضَلِّلُ
Brazilian Portuguese: enganar
Chinese: 愚弄
Croatian: zavarati
Czech: napálit
Danish: narre
Dutch: voor de gek houden
European Spanish: engañar
Finnish: huijata
French: tromper
German: täuschen
Greek: κοροϊδεύω
Italian: ingannare
Japanese: だます
Korean: 속이다
Norwegian: lure
Polish: wygłupić się
European Portuguese: enganar
Romanian: a păcăli
Russian: дурачить
Latin American Spanish: engañar
Swedish: lura
Thai: หลอก
Turkish: kandırmak
Ukrainian: обдурювати
Vietnamese: đánh lừa
All related terms of 'fool'
no fool
a wise or sensible person
damn fool
Damn fool means 'very stupid '.
fool away
to spend foolishly, as time or money ; squander
fool hen
→ spruce grouse
fool with
to handle or play with idly or carelessly
April fool
An April Fool is a trick that is played on April Fool's Day.
fool about
fool along
to move or proceed in a leisurely way
fool around
If you fool around , you behave in a silly , dangerous , or irresponsible way.
complete fool
If you call someone a fool , you are indicating that you think they are not at all sensible and show a lack of good judgment .
fool's cap
a hood or cap with bells or tassels , worn by court jesters
flannelled fool
a cricketer
fool's gold
Fool's gold is a substance that is found in rock and that looks very like gold.
fool's mate
a checkmate achieved by Black's second move: the quickest possible mate
fool's errand
a fruitless undertaking
fool's-parsley
an evil-smelling Eurasian umbelliferous plant, Aethusa cynapium , with small white flowers: contains the poison coniine
form the fool
to play the fool or behave irritatingly
play the fool
to deliberately act foolishly; indulge in buffoonery
April Fools' Day
April Fool's Day is the 1st of April, the day on which people traditionally play tricks on each other.
be nobody's fool
to be wise or shrewd
fool's paradise
If you say that someone is living in a fool's paradise , you are criticizing them because they are not aware that their present happy situation is likely to change and get worse .
more fool (you)
If you say to someone ' More fool you' when they tell you what they have done or what they plan to do, you are indicating that you think that it is silly and shows a lack of judgment .
make a fool of someone
If you make a fool of someone, you make them seem silly by telling people about something stupid that they have done , or by tricking them.
make a fool of yourself
If you make a fool of yourself, you behave in a way that makes other people think that you are silly or lacking in good judgment .
play someone for a fool
to deceive someone and use them for your own advantage
live in a fool's paradise
to believe wrongly and stupidly that your situation is good, when really it is not
to play the fool to act the fool
If you play the fool or act the fool , you behave in a playful , childish , and foolish way , usually in order to make other people laugh .
a fool and his money are soon parted
said to mean that it is easy to persuade someone who is not sensible to spend their money on worthless things
make a fool (or an ass, etc.) of
to cause to seem a fool (or an ass , etc.)
Chinese translation of 'fool'
fool
(fuːl)
n
(c) (= idiot) 白痴(癡) (báichī) (个(個), gè)
(c/u) (Brit, Culin) 奶油拌果子泥甜点
vt
(= deceive) 欺骗(騙) (qīpiàn)
vi
to fool with sb/sth戏(戲)弄某人/摆(擺)弄某物 (xìnòng mǒurén/bǎinòng mǒuwù)
to make a fool of sb (= ridicule) 嘲弄某人 (cháonòng mǒurén)
to make a fool of o.s.使自己出丑(醜) (shǐ zìjǐ chūchǒu)
you can't fool me你骗(騙)不了我 (nǐ piàn bù liǎo wǒ)
All related terms of 'fool'
fool about
( behave foolishly ) 做蠢事 zuò chǔnshì
what a fool I am!
我真是个(個)傻子！ wǒ zhēnshi gè shǎzi!
you can't fool me
你骗(騙)不了我 nǐ piàn bù liǎo wǒ
to fool with sb/sth
戏(戲)弄某人/摆(擺)弄某物 xìnòng mǒurén/bǎinòng mǒuwù
to make a fool of o.s.
使自己出丑(醜) shǐ zìjǐ chūchǒu
to make a fool of sb
( ridicule ) 嘲弄某人 cháonòng mǒurén
1 (noun)
Definition
a person who lacks sense or judgment
She'd been a fool to accept the offer.
Synonyms
idiot
I knew I'd been an idiot to stay there.
simpleton
He was a lightweight, a political simpleton.
mug (British, slang)
berk (British, slang)
charlie (British, informal)
silly
Come on, silly, we'll miss all the fun.
goose (informal)
dope (informal)
I don't feel I'm such a dope.
jerk (slang, mainly US, Canadian)
He'd tricked her into walking into the garbage, to make her look like a total jerk!
dummy (slang)
He's no dummy, this guy.
ass (US, Canadian, taboo, slang)
He was regarded as a pompous ass.
clot (British, informal)
He has always been a bit of a clot.
plank (British, slang)
sap (slang)
He's always seemed a poor sap to me.
prick (taboo, slang)
wally (slang)
prat (slang)
plonker (slang)
coot
moron (slang)
I used to think that he was a moron.
nit (informal)
git (British, slang)
twit (informal, mainly British)
a pompous twit who loved the sound of his own voice
bonehead (slang)
chump (informal)
dunce
He was a dunce at mathematics.
imbecile (informal)
I don't want to deal with these imbeciles any more.
loon
clod
cretin
oaf
some oaf shouting into his phone
bozo (US, slang)
dullard
dimwit (informal)
Frankly, only a dimwit would say that.
ignoramus
I am an ignoramus regarding technical matters.
dumbo (slang)
jackass
dipstick (British, slang)
dickhead (taboo, slang)
gonzo (slang)
schmuck (US, slang)
dork (slang)
nitwit (informal)
You great nitwit! What did you do that for?
dolt
He's a first class dolt.
blockhead
a bunch of bowler-hatted blockheads
ninny
divvy (British, slang)
bird-brain (informal)
pillock (British, slang)
halfwit
I'm a mindless optimist, a cheery halfwit.
nincompoop
Only a complete nincompoop would believe a story like that.
dweeb (US, slang)
putz (US, slang)
fathead (informal)
weenie (US, informal)
schlep (US, slang)
eejit (Scottish, Irish)
thicko (British, slang)
dumb-ass (slang)
pea-brain (slang)
gobshite (Irish, taboo, slang)
dunderhead
numpty (Scottish, informal)
doofus (slang, mainly US)
lamebrain (informal)
fuckwit (taboo, slang)
mooncalf
thickhead
clodpate (archaic)
dickwit (taboo, slang)
numbskull or numskull
twerp or twirp (informal)
dorba or dorb (Australian, slang)
bogan (Australian, slang)
mampara (South Africa, informal)
Opposites
expert
,
master
,
genius
,
scholar
,
sage
,
boffin (British, informal)
,
wise man
,
rocket scientist (informal)
,
savant
,
fundi (South Africa)
2 (noun)
Definition
a person who is made to appear ridiculous
He feels she has made a fool of him.
Synonyms
dupe
an innocent dupe in a political scandal
butt
He is still the butt of cruel jokes about his humble origins.
mug (British, slang)
I feel such a mug for signing the agreement.
sucker (slang)
Keep giving us your money, sucker!
gull (archaic)
stooge (slang)
He has vehemently rejected claims that he is a government stooge.
laughing stock
pushover (informal)
He's a tough negotiator – you won't find him a pushover.
fall guy (informal)
chump (informal)
greenhorn (informal)
easy mark (informal)
3 (noun)
Definition
(formerly) a professional jester living in a royal or noble household
Every good court has its resident fool.
Synonyms
jester
a chap dressed as a court jester
comic
At that time he was still a penniless, unknown comic.
clown
a classic circus clown with a big red nose and baggy suit
harlequin
motley
buffoon
a drunken buffoon
pierrot
court jester
punchinello
joculator or (fem.) joculatrix
merry-andrew
(verb)
Definition
to deceive (someone), esp. in order to make them look ridiculous
Art dealers fool a lot of people.
Synonyms
deceive
He has deceived and disillusioned us all.
cheat
He cheated people out of their life savings.
mislead
Ministers knowingly misled the public.
delude
We delude ourselves that we are in control.
kid (informal)
Are you sure you're not kidding me?
I'm just kidding.
trick
He'll be upset when he finds out how you tricked him.
take in
con (informal)
He claimed that the businessman had conned him out of his life savings.
stiff (slang)
have (someone) on
bluff
She tried to bluff her way through the test.
hoax
He recently hoaxed a number of celebrities.
dupe
Some of the offenders duped the psychologists.
beguile
He used his newspapers to beguile his readers.
gull (archaic)
Consumers are no longer so easily gulled into paying extra for a designer label.
swindle
He swindled investors out of millions of pounds.
make a fool of
bamboozle
He was bamboozled by conmen.
hoodwink
Many people are hoodwinked by the so-called beauty industry.
take for a ride (informal)
put one over on (informal)
play a trick on
pull a fast one on (informal)
scam (slang)
idiom
See act or play the fool
Phrasal verbs
See fool around with something
See fool around or about
Quotations
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread [Alexander Pope – An Essay on Criticism]A fool and his words are soon parted [William Shenstone – Works]A fool uttereth all his mind [Bible: Proverbs]I am two fools, I know, For loving, and for saying so In whining poetry [John Donne – Songs and Sonnets]Be wise with speed; A fool at forty is a fool indeed [Edward Young – The Love of Fame]There's a sucker born every minute [Phineas T. Barnum]You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time [attributed to both Phineas T. Barnum and Abraham Lincoln]Natur never makes enny blunders. When she makes a phool she means it [Josh Billings – Josh Billings' Wit and Humour]A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees [William Blake – The Marriage of Heaven and Hell]If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise [William Blake – The Marriage of Heaven and Hell]A knowledgeable fool is a greater fool than an ignorant fool [Molière – Les Femmes Savantes]
proverbs
A fool and his money are soon partedFools build houses and wise men live in themA fool may give a wise man counsel
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ass
Definition
a foolish person
He was regarded as a pompous ass.
Synonyms
fool,
dope (informal),
jerk (slang),
idiot,
plank (British, slang),
berk (British, slang),
prick (taboo, slang),
wally (slang),
prat (slang),
charlie (British, informal),
plonker (slang),
coot,
twit (informal, British),
bonehead (slang),
dunce,
oaf,
simpleton,
airhead (slang),
jackass,
dipstick (British, slang),
dickhead (taboo, slang),
gonzo (slang),
schmuck (US, slang),
dork (slang),
nitwit (informal),
dolt,
blockhead,
ninny,
divvy (British, slang),
pillock (British, slang),
halfwit,
nincompoop,
dweeb (US, slang),
putz (US, slang),
fathead (informal),
weenie (US, informal),
eejit (Scottish, Irish),
thicko (British, slang),
dumb-ass (slang),
gobshite (Irish, taboo, slang),
numpty (Scottish, informal),
doofus (slang, US),
daftie (informal),
fuckwit (taboo, slang),
dickwit (taboo, slang),
numbskull or numskull,
twerp or twirp (informal),
dorba or dorb (Australian, slang),
bogan (Australian, slang)
in the sense of bamboozle
Definition
to cheat
He was bamboozled by conmen.
Synonyms
cheat,
do (informal),
kid (informal),
skin (slang),
trick,
fool,
take in (informal),
con (informal),
stiff,
sting (informal),
mislead,
rip off (slang),
thwart,
deceive,
fleece,
hoax,
defraud,
dupe,
beguile,
gull (archaic),
delude,
swindle,
stitch up (slang),
victimize,
hoodwink,
double-cross (informal),
diddle (informal),
take for a ride (informal),
do the dirty on (British, informal),
bilk,
pull a fast one on (informal),
cozen
in the sense of beguile
Definition
to charm (someone) into doing something he or she would not normally do