Standard Lemma guide

foolery

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈfuːləɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: F UW1 L ER0 IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Foolish behaviour or speech.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

foolish or senseless behavior

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: folly, tomfoolery, craziness, lunacy, indulgence

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: play, frolic, romp, gambol, caper

Narrower terms: meshugaas, mishegaas, mishegoss, buffoonery, clowning, japery, frivolity, harlequinade, prank

History

Etymology

From Middle English foleri, ffollery, equivalent to fool + -ery.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: глупост (glupost) — foolish behaviour or speech.
  • Bulgarian: щуротия (šturotija) — foolish behaviour or speech.
  • French: folie — foolish behaviour or speech.
  • Ancient Greek: φλυαρία (phluaría) — foolish behaviour or speech.
  • Polish: błazenada — foolish behaviour or speech.
  • Polish: błazeństwo — foolish behaviour or speech.
  • Polish: głupota — foolish behaviour or speech.