fool
To trick; to deceive.
Adjective
- Foolish.
- Of all the fool, fruitless jobs, making anything of a creature that begins by deceiving her, is the foolest a sane woman ever undertook. - 1909, Gene Stratton-Porter, A Girl of the Limberlost:
- That was a fool thing to do. You could have gotten yourself shot - 2011, Gayle Kaye, Sheriff Takes a Bride:
Origin
From Middle English fol (“fool”), from Old French fol (cf. modern French fou (“mad”)) from Latin follis. Doublet of fals and follis. Displaced native Old English dwæs.
Forms
Derived
Noun derogatory
- A person with poor judgment or little intelligence.
- You were a fool to cross that busy road without looking.
- The village fool threw his own shoes down the well.
- Erasmus, [...] saide wiselie that experience is the common scholehouse of foles, and ill men: Men of witte and honestie, be otherwise instructed. - a. 1569 (date written), Roger Ascham, edited by Margaret Ascham, The...
Synonyms: ignoramus naif simpleton simp goofus doofus dimwit idiot imbecile stultus buffoon cuckoo moron lunatic maniac
- A jester; a person whose role was to entertain a sovereign and the court (or lower personages).
- 1896, Frederick Peterson IN Popular Science Monthly Volume 50 December 1896 , Idiots Savants This court fool could say bright things on occasion, but his main use to the ladies and lords of the palace was to serve as...
- A stock character typified by unintelligence, naïveté or lucklessness, usually as a form of comic relief; often used as a source of insight or pathos for the audience, as such characters are generally less bound by social expectations.
- Someone who has been made a fool of or tricked; dupe.
- Such clouds of nameless trouble cross All night below the darken’d eyes; With morning wakes the will, and cries, ‘Thou shalt not be the fool of loss.’ - 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto IV”, in In Memoriam,...
- Someone who derives pleasure from something specified.
- Can they think me […] their fool or jester? - 1671, John Milton, “Samson Agonistes, […]”, in Paradise Regain’d. A Poem. In IV Books. To which is Added, Samson Agonistes, London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for John Starkey […],...
- I'm a fool for the city. - 1975, Foghat, "Fool for the City" (song), Fool for the City (album)
- An informal greeting akin to buddy, dude, or man.
- Upon opening the door, Trech was suddenly drawn aback by the shocking presence of the armed goon standing directly in front of him. “Yo, what up fool? […]” - 2010, G.C. Deuce, From the Gutter to the Grave: An American...
- “What up, fool?” he finally responded. “Not too much; fell asleep watching your boys get their asses kicked,” I told him, referring to the Carolina Cougars, the last team he played for before he got sick. - 2012, Peron...
- Fame leaves out the house and walks to the BP gas station on Alabama Avenue. On the way there he sees his man Mark posted up at the rec center and walks over to holla at him. “What’s up fool?” Mark says while dapping...
- A particular card in a tarot deck, representing a jester.
- A tankie.
Forms
Synonyms
jester joker dupe mark goat fan alcatote asshat arsehole asshole bayard berk birdbrain blither bobchin bonehead bozo buffoon brickhead Charlie chucklehead chowderhead chump clart
Antonyms
Hypernyms
Related
Derived
act a fool act the fool a fool and his money are soon parted April-fool April fool April Fools' Day archfool audiophool cut the fool damnfool fat as a fool flannelled fool fool away fooldom foolery fooless foolfish fool for Christ fool-hearted fool-heartedly fool-heartedness foolhood foolify fooligan
Noun cooking, food
- A type of dessert made of puréed fruit and custard or cream.
- an apricot fool; a gooseberry fool
- Eton is renowned for its "messes," and "strawberry mess" is Empress of them all, with raspberry mess as a very good second. It does not at all convey the joys of a "mess" to say that it consists of iced fruit and cream,...
- Pellaprat [...] invented the dish [of Eton mess] when a load of over-ripe strawberries needed eating up. His disguise was a fluff of whipped cream and the fool was served with sponge fingers. Somewhere along the line,...
Coordinate Terms: mess
Origin
From French fouler (“to trample”).
Forms
Synonyms
alcatote asshat arsehole asshole bayard berk birdbrain blither bobchin bonehead bozo buffoon brickhead Charlie chucklehead chowderhead chump clart clown der-brain dill pickle dim bulb dimwit dingleberry
Antonyms
Hypernyms
Related
Derived
Verb
- To trick; to deceive.
- She bit it gently and found that it resembled a worm in no way whatsoever as to taste although because it was long and slender, a Little Red Hen might easily be fooled by its appearance. - 1918, Florence White Williams,...
- There appears to be no process of gradually fooling oneself while degrading standards so characteristic of the Solid Rocket Booster or Space Shuttle Main Engine safety systems. - 1986 June 6, Richard Feynman, “Personal...
- Liara: Do not be fooled by these civilized surroundings. This is a place of secrets and lies. - 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Noveria:
- To act in an idiotic manner; to act foolishly.
- 1681/1682, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar Is this a time for fooling?
- She's always complaining that she got stuck with the worst possible committee. And that me and Jimmy fool more than we work. - 1972, Judy Blume, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, page 56:
- To make a fool of; to make act the fool.
- They fool me to the top of my bent. - c. 1599 to 1601, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, III.ii.384
Forms
Derived
befool foolability foolable fool about fool along fool around fooler fool me once shame on you fool me twice shame on me fool up fool with misfool more fool you outfool unfool unfooled