Fool — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈfül/

Meaning & Definition of Fool

Fool (noun)

  1. a person lacking in judgment or prudence
  2. a retainer formerly kept in great households to provide casual entertainment and commonly dressed in motley with cap, bells, and bauble
  3. one who is victimized or made to appear foolish, dupe

Fool (adjective)

  1. foolish, silly

Fool (verb)

  1. to behave foolishly
  2. to meddle, tamper, or experiment especially thoughtlessly or ignorantly
  3. to play or improvise a comic role

Fool (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a person who lacks good sense or judgment

    "only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared"

    similar: berk (British), booby, charlie (British), cuckoo, ding-a-ling, dingbat, ding-dong, dipstick, doofus (slang), featherhead, git (British), goose, half-wit, jackass, lunatic (informal), maniac (informal), mooncalf, nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nit (chiefly British), nitwit, nut, nutcase, simp, simpleton, turkey, yo-yo
    related: daredevil, madman, airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dodo, dolt, donkey, dope, dork (slang), dumbbell, dummy, dunce, fathead, gander, goon, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, know-nothing, knucklehead, moron, numskull, pinhead, schlub (slang), schlump (slang), schnook (slang), stock, featherbrain, scatterbrain, butt, dupe, laughingstock, mockery, monkey, chump, loser, schlemiel, character, codger, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, kook, oddball, screwball, weirdo
    near: sage, thinker, brain, genius

  2. a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks

    "a king's fool could get away with saying things that others in the palace couldn't"

    similar: jester, motley
    related: buffoon, clown, comedian, comedienne, comic, cutup, droll, harlequin, joker, jokester, madcap, merry-andrew, vice, wag, zany, mime, mummer

  3. a person with a strong and habitual liking for something

    "I'm a fool for ice cream"

    similar: addict, aficionado, buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fan, fanatic, fancier, fiend, freak, habitué, head, hound, junkie, lover, maniac (informal), maven, nut, sucker
    related: groupie, admirer, amateur, collector, connoisseur, dilettante, authority, expert, adherent, convert, cultist, disciple, follower, hanger-on, votary, advocate, apostle, backer, champion, evangelist, exponent, friend, patron, promoter, proponent, supporter, partisan, zealot, booster, rooter, well-wisher, faddist
    opposite: nonfan
    near: nonadmirer, belittler, carper, critic, detractor

Fool (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment

    "he's always got some fool plan or other"

    similar: absurd, asinine, balmy, barmy (chiefly British), batty, brainless, bubbleheaded, cockeyed, crackbrained, crackpot, crazy, cuckoo, daffy, daft, dippy, dotty, fatuous, featherheaded, foolish, fruity (slang), gaga, half-baked, half-witted, harebrained, inept, insane, jerky, kooky, loony, loony tunes, lunatic (informal), lunkheaded, mad, meshuga, nonsensical, nutty, preposterous, sappy, screwball, senseless, silly, simpleminded, stupid, tomfool, unwise, wacko, wacky, weak-minded, witless, zany, out to lunch
    related: airheaded, birdbrained, boobish, brain-dead, chowderheaded, chuckleheaded, clueless, dense, dim, dim-witted, doltish, dopey, dorky (slang), dull, dumb, dunderheaded, empty-headed, feebleminded, gormless (chiefly British), idiotic, imbecile, knuckleheaded, lamebrain, mindless, moronic, oafish, obtuse, opaque, pinheaded, simple, slow, slow-witted, soft, softheaded, thoughtless, thick, thickheaded, unintelligent, vacuous, fallacious, illogical, invalid, irrational, nonrational, surd, unreasonable, unreasoning, unsound, weak, farcical, laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, notional, buffoonish, clownish, ill-advised, unconsidered, unreasoned
    opposite: judicious, prudent, sagacious, sage, sane, sapient, sensible, sound, wise
    near: brainy, bright, clever, intelligent, smart, logical, rational, reasonable, valid, well-advised

Fool (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause to believe what is untrue

    "I fooled him into thinking that we were driving to the store, not to his surprise birthday party"

    similar: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fake out, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on (chiefly British), hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, mislead, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, suck in, sucker, take in, trick, do a number on, lead one down the garden path, pull one's leg, pull the wool over one's eyes
    related: kid, put on, tease, bleed, cheat, chisel, defraud, diddle, euchre, fleece, flimflam, hustle, mulct, rook, shortchange, skin, squeeze, stick, sting, swindle
    opposite: undeceive
    near: debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse, disenchant, disillusion

  2. to make jokes

    "an edgy comedian fooling with an appreciative college audience"

    similar: banter, chaff, fun, gag, jape, jest, jive, joke, jolly, josh, kid, quip, wisecrack, yuk (slang), crack wise
    related: gibe, haze, jeer, mock, rag, rally, razz, rib, ridicule, tease, caricature, lampoon, parody, satirize, amuse, divert, entertain

Related Entry: Fool (with) (verb)

Fool (with) is a different word from Fool. The synonyms below are for fool (with), not for fool.

  1. to handle thoughtlessly, ignorantly, or mischievously

    "not a good idea to fool with power tools before you've read the manual"

    similar: diddle (with), fiddle (with), mess (with), monkey (with), play (with), tamper (with), tinker (with), toy (with), twiddle (with)
    related: abuse, alter, doctor, manhandle, manipulate, mistreat, misuse, butt in, interfere, intrude, meddle, muck (about or around)

Related Entry: Fool around (verb)

Fool around is a different word from Fool. The synonyms below are for fool around, not for fool.

  1. to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior

    "quit fooling around on the jungle gym, or you'll get hurt"

    similar: act up, clown (around), cut up, horse around, hotdog, monkey (around), show off, showboat, skylark
    related: carry on, misbehave, roughhouse, caper, cavort, disport, frisk, frolic, gambol, lark, rollick, romp, carouse, maffick, revel, roar, wassail

  2. to spend time in aimless activity

    "we fooled around outdoors for a while, then went in to get some work done"

    similar: doodle, fiddle (around), fribble, goof (around), hang about (British), kick around, mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle
    related: dally, dawdle, dillydally, hang (around or out), idle, loaf, loll, lounge, clown (around), horse around, diddle (with), tinker
    near: buckle (down), knuckle down, set (to), settle (down)

Related Entry: Fool's paradise (noun)

Fool's paradise is a different word from Fool. The synonyms below are for fool's paradise, not for fool.

  1. as in hell, anti-utopia

    similar: anti-utopia, dystopia, hell
    opposite: Camelot, Cockaigne, Eden, Elysium, empyrean, fantasyland, heaven, lotusland, never-never land, New Jerusalem, nirvana, paradise, promised land, Shangri-la, utopia, Zion, arcadia, dreamland, dreamworld, fairyland, wonderland

Related Entry: Fool's paradises (noun)

Fool's paradises is a different word from Fool. The synonyms below are for fool's paradises, not for fool.

  1. as in hells, anti-utopias

    similar: anti-utopias, dystopias, hells
    opposite: Camelots, Cockaignes, Edens, Elysiums, empyreans, fantasylands, heavens, lotuslands, never-never lands, New Jerusalems, nirvanas, paradises, promised lands, Shangri-las, utopias, Zions, arcadias, dreamlands, dreamworlds, fairylands, wonderlands

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fool

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fool:

British: berk, charlie, git
Slang: doofus, fruity, yuk
Chiefly British: nit, barmy, have on
Informal: lunatic, maniac
booby, cuckoo, ding-a-ling, dingbat, ding-dong, dipstick, featherhead, goose, half-wit, jackass, mooncalf, nincompoop, ninny, ninnyhammer, nitwit, nut, nutcase, simp, simpleton, turkey, yo-yo, jester, motley, addict, aficionado, buff, bug, devotee, enthusiast, fan, fanatic, fancier, fiend, freak, habitué, head, hound, junkie, lover, maven

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Fool

Words with the opposite meaning of Fool:

nonfan, judicious, prudent, sagacious, sage, sane, sapient, sensible, sound, wise, undeceive

Related Words for Fool

daredevil, madman, airhead, birdbrain, blockhead, dodo, dolt, donkey, dope, dork, dumbbell, dummy, dunce, fathead, gander, goon, idiot, ignoramus, imbecile, know-nothing, knucklehead, moron, numskull, pinhead, schlub, schlump, schnook, stock, featherbrain, scatterbrain

Near Antonyms of Fool

thinker, brain, genius, nonadmirer, belittler, carper, critic, detractor, brainy, bright, clever, intelligent, smart, logical, rational, reasonable, valid, well-advised, debunk, expose, reveal, show up, uncloak, uncover, unmask, disclose, divulge, tell, unveil, disabuse

Word Forms of Fool

Inflections: fools, fooled, fooling

Origin & Etymology of Fool

Middle English, from Anglo-French fol, from Late Latin follis, from Latin, bellows, bag; akin to Old High German bolla blister, balg bag belly

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Fool

Words & Phrases Containing Fool

fool around, fool around with, fool's errand, fool's gold, fool's paradise, fool's parsley, fool of a

Frequently Asked Questions about Fool

What does "Fool" mean?

"Fool" means a person lacking in judgment or prudence. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: a person lacking in judgment or prudence. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fool"?

Other words for "Fool" include berk, booby, charlie, cuckoo, ding-a-ling, dingbat, ding-dong and dipstick. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fool" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fool"?

There are 333 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fool". Common alternatives include berk, booby, charlie, cuckoo, ding-a-ling, dingbat, ding-dong, dipstick, doofus and featherhead.

What is a slang word for "Fool"?

Slang words for "Fool" include doofus, fruity and yuk.

What is the opposite of "Fool"?

Antonyms of "Fool" include nonfan, judicious, prudent, sagacious, sage, sane, sapient and sensible. Near antonyms include thinker, brain, genius and nonadmirer.

How do you use "Fool" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fool" in a sentence: "only a fool would attempt to climb that mountain unprepared"; "a king's fool could get away with saying things that others in the palace couldn't"; "I'm a fool for ice cream".

Is "Fool" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fool" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Fool" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Fool" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.