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foolishness

foolishness

61 2.7
A lack of good sense or careful thought that causes bad choices
  • noun
  • /ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/
translation icon : insensatez
  • His continuous arguments were an example of sheer foolishness during the serious meeting.
  • one's own foolishness

It's not stupidity or foolishness or defiance.

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Examples

Synonyms

madness
vsfoolishness
112 4.6

A foolish action that shows poor judgment

is the general trait of poor judgment, not specific rash acts
craziness
vsfoolishness
68 4.2

Very wild or foolish behavior, sometimes caused by problems in the mind

is limited to poor judgment rather than mental instability
folly
vsfoolishness
59 7.3

A foolish action or a lack of good sense that causes trouble

is the same broad lack of judgment rather than a single act
stupidity
vsfoolishness
51 3.4

A foolish action that shows poor judgment

is the general quality of lacking good judgment rather than a single act
idiocy
vsfoolishness
  • Offensive
40 8.0

Very stupid or foolish behaviour often seen as offensive

is about lacking good judgment rather than low mental capacity
naivety
vsfoolishness
7 6.1

Lack of experience or common sense that makes someone trust others easily

is lack of good judgment regardless of whether caused by inexperience
dumb mistake
vsfoolishness
  • Informal
4 2.8

A careless, foolish error that causes problems

is the ongoing quality of poor judgment rather than one mistake
foolery
vsfoolishness
2 6.1

Silly, harmless behavior that makes people laugh

focuses on lack of judgment rather than playful silliness
fatuity
vsfoolishness
  • Formal
1 9.9

A very silly and stupid idea or action

is the neutral idea of lacking good judgment rather than being ludicrous
dumbness
vsfoolishness
  • Offensive
1 6.2

A state of not understanding things quickly

focuses on poor judgment rather than low mental speed
boneheadedness
vsfoolishness
  • Offensive
1 8.2

Being very foolish and not willing to change, causing mistakes

is broader lack of sense and not focused on stubbornness
looniness
vsfoolishness
  • Informal
1 6.8

A very silly or crazy way of behaving that makes people laugh

is the plain lack of judgment without the playful craziness
daftness
vsfoolishness
  • Informal
1 7.3

A way of behaving that is silly or foolish and not thinking clearly

is the core idea of bad judgment rather than madness
imbecility
vsfoolishness
  • Informal
1 8.4

A stupid action or remark

is the broader quality of poor judgment rather than one act
imprudence
vsfoolishness
1 7.7

A failure to be careful or to use good judgment when making choices

is broader lack of sense rather than specifically missing caution
foolhardiness
vsfoolishness
1 8.2

A habit of taking dangerous risks without thinking about the results

is the simple absence of good judgment, not focused on risk
unwisdom
vsfoolishness
8.6

Poor choice or action made without good sense

is the common everyday term for that same lack of judgment
unwiseness
vsfoolishness
9.7

A lack of good judgment when making choices

is the everyday word for that overall lack of judgment
fatuousness
vsfoolishness
9.5

A state of being foolish and not thinking clearly

is broader, covering any lack of good judgment not only emptiness
sappiness
vsfoolishness
  • Informal
7.6

A foolish way of acting that shows poor judgment

is plain lack of good sense rather than sentimental weakness
asininity
vsfoolishness
  • Offensive
9.9

The state of being very foolish in a stubborn way

is general lack of judgment without the stubborn element
peabrained decision
vsfoolishness
  • Slang
7.8

A very foolish decision that shows little thought

is the general trait of poor judgment rather than one choice
betise
vsfoolishness
  • Archaic
9.9

A silly mistake that shows bad judgment

is the overall lack of good judgment rather than a single act

Antonyms

571 2.7

To use what you know and have learned to make good choices and give good advice

sagacity
  • Formal
1 8.7

Being very wise and good at making decisions

How Foolish

idiocy
  • Offensive
40 8.0
stupidity
51 3.4
foolishness
61 2.7
silliness
29 2.6

Surface Forms

foolishness singular
foolishnesses plural

Morphology

foolishness = foolish (transparent) = fool + ish + ness

The word 'foolishness' is transparently derived from 'foolish' with the addition of the suffix '-ness' to indicate a state or quality.

Etymology

Foolishness comes from the simple word fool, which means 'silly' or 'not sensible'. The ending -ish makes it an adjective and -ness makes it the 'state' or quality, so foolishness is the condition of acting without good sense or judgment.