verb
Meaning 1
To behave in a foolish or comical manner.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Phrase guide
play the fool
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
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verb
Meaning 2
To pretend or feign ignorance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: idiomatic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
No etymology was provided for this word.
Across languages
Translations
47 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Arabic: تَصَرَّفَ بِغَبَاء (taṣarrafa bi-ḡabāʔ) — behave in a foolish manner
- Chinese Mandarin: 出洋相 (chūyángxiàng) — behave in a foolish manner
- Chinese Mandarin: 胡鬧 /胡闹 (húnào) — behave in a foolish manner
- Chinese Mandarin: 幹蠢事 /干蠢事 (gàn chǔnshì) — behave in a foolish manner
- Esperanto: stultumi — behave in a foolish manner
- Finnish: pelleillä — behave in a foolish manner
- Finnish: hölmöillä — behave in a foolish manner
- French: faire l'idiot — behave in a foolish manner
- French: faire l'imbécile — behave in a foolish manner
- French: faire l'andouille — behave in a foolish manner
- Friulian: fâ il basoâl — behave in a foolish manner
- Galician: facer o parvo — behave in a foolish manner
- German: den Narren spielen — behave in a foolish manner
- Greek: μωραίνω (moraíno) — behave in a foolish manner
- Ancient Greek: μωραίνω (mōraínō) — behave in a foolish manner
- Italian: fare il buffone — behave in a foolish manner
- Jamaican Creole: form fool — behave in a foolish manner
- Japanese: ばかを見させる (baka o miraseru) — behave in a foolish manner
- Korean: 광대 노릇을 하다 (gwangdae noreus-eul hada) — behave in a foolish manner
- Latin: ineptio — behave in a foolish manner
- Latvian: dzīt velnu — behave in a foolish manner
- Latvian: plēst velnu — behave in a foolish manner
- Māori: whakaheahea — behave in a foolish manner
- Polish: wygłupiać się — behave in a foolish manner
- Russian: валя́ть дурака́ (valjátʹ duraká) — behave in a foolish manner
- Russian: дура́читься (duráčitʹsja) — behave in a foolish manner
- Spanish: hacer el canelo — behave in a foolish manner
- Swedish: apa sig — behave in a foolish manner
- Swedish: spela pajas — behave in a foolish manner
- Swedish: löjla sig — behave in a foolish manner
- Catalan: fer l'andorrà — pretend ignorance
- Chinese Cantonese: 詐傻 /诈傻 (zaa3 so4) — pretend ignorance
- Chinese Mandarin: 裝傻 /装傻 (zhuāngshǎ) — pretend ignorance
- Chinese Mandarin: 裝傻充愣 /装傻充愣 (zhuāngshǎchōnglèng) — pretend ignorance
- Finnish: teeskennellä tietämätöntä — pretend ignorance
- French: feindre l'ignorance — pretend ignorance
- French: jouer au con — pretend ignorance
- Galician: facerse o parvo — pretend ignorance
- Italian: fare il finto tonto — pretend ignorance
- Jamaican Creole: form fool — pretend ignorance
- Japanese: とぼける (tobokeru) — pretend ignorance
- Polish: zgrywać głupiego — pretend ignorance
- Russian: прики́дываться дурако́м (prikídyvatʹsja durakóm) — pretend ignorance
- Spanish: hacerse el sueco — pretend ignorance
- Spanish: hacerse el tonto — pretend ignorance
- Spanish: hacerse el longuis — pretend ignorance
- Swedish: spela dum — pretend ignorance