fool's bargain
- noun
- /fuːlz ˈbɑːrɡɪn/
- Informal
:
trato engañoso
- Signing the contract without reading the fine print turned out to be a fool's bargain.
Examples
-
What a fool's bargain!
-
Many investors fell for the scheme, only to realize it was a fool's bargain.
-
He thought he was getting a great price, but it was actually a fool's bargain.
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Entering that contract was a fool's bargain!
-
Many investors realize too late that the promise of quick profits was a fool's bargain.
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She thought she was getting a great deal on the car, but it turned out to be a fool's bargain with hidden repairs needed.
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The job offer seemed perfect, but after accepting it, he discovered it was a fool's bargain with poor benefits.
Synonyms
1
4.6
A purchase or deal that leaves you worse off
1
9.9
A small thing of little value taken instead of something better
Antonyms
How Wise
163
1.0
10
2.8
- Informal
1
4.6
7
4.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
fool's + bargain
The meaning is compositionally built from 'fool's' (belonging to a fool; foolish) + 'bargain' (a deal), so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to a foolish or unwise deal. The finer nuance that it may appear beneficial at first is a pragmatic extension, but the core sense of an unwise bargain is transparently derivable.
Etymology
The idiom fool's bargain combines fool's (someone without much sense) and bargain (a deal) and paints a simple picture: imagine a buyer tricked into trading something valuable for a shiny but useless object. That's why it means 'an agreement that seems good at first but is actually unwise'.