to feel like a fool
- idiom
- When I accidentally called him by the wrong name, I felt like a fool.
- make me feel like a fool
- felt like a fool for trying
- now feels like a fool
By the way, don't ever shame yourself for feeling like a fool when it comes to this.
- By the way, don't ever shame yourself for feeling like a fool when it comes to this.
- People go tell me your biggest failure, and I feel like a fool because I sit there.
- I think that this is universally a feeling where it's just like, no matter if you're going to get denied hurt, you're going to feel like a fool.
Examples
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I sent my salad back one time, and they made me feel like a fool.
Blog text (33) -
Well, he just feels like a fool when he's around her.
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But, well, ten hours later, I feel like a fool.
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I feel like a fool most of the time.
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Is this real, or are you just going to make me feel like a fool?
Fiction book (1993) -
I'd feel like a fool in front of those people.
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I feel like a fool even discussing her like this.
Fiction book (1997) -
I'm ready to make that promise, but you got to walk the walk, - or I'm gonna feel like a fool.
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By the way, don't ever shame yourself for feeling like a fool when it comes to this.
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I only wanted to say that I've felt like a fool lately for not knowing you.
Fiction book (1997)
Synonyms
Be uncomfortable or embarrassed when you are with other people
Be embarrassed and think you are foolish after making a mistake
To feel foolish and embarrassed about something you did
To feel silly for believing someone who tricked you
To be foolish or embarrassed after making a mistake
Being foolish and embarrassed after making an obvious mistake
To think you are silly after making a mistake
To feel foolish and embarrassed because of something you did
To feel foolish because of something you did
To feel foolish or embarrassed because of a mistake
Act or seem foolish and unable to do something in a situation
To feel foolish after making a mistake
To feel foolish and embarrassed after a careless mistake
To be very ashamed and think you are worthless
To feel very ashamed and worthless after doing something embarrassing
Antonyms
How Foolish
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to feel embarrassed or foolish' is directly derivable from the constituents: 'feel' (experience), 'like' (as/similar to), and 'fool' (a foolish person), with 'a' as a grammatical article. This composition follows a common comparative/cognitive pattern found across many languages, so a B1 learner who knows the words would readily infer the idiomatic sense.
Etymology
Feel like a fool creates a simple picture: you imagine yourself as a fool who looks silly after a mistake and feels ashamed. So it means 'to feel embarrassed or awkward'.