Foolishness Meaning
/ˈfuːlɪʃnəs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe state of being foolish.
nounA thing or event that is foolish, or an absurdity.
Sentence Examples
He was amazed at his foolishness.
Artificial intelligence cannot beat natural foolishness.
I'm in no mood for your foolishness, Tom.
CEFR Practice Quiz
His reckless behavior, driven by sheer ____, led to a very avoidable accident.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His constant ____ frequently got him into trouble with both his teachers and his classmates.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English folishnesse, follissnesse, equivalent to foolish + -ness.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"On page 297 [“Queens Not Balled Thru Robbers”], that quotation from a foreign bee-paper, about the foolishness of thinking that robber-bees ball a queen, is probably all right in the main. Robbers are indeed there for honey—not for reginacide—but perchance no one interferes, and after awhile the honey is gone, and the hive is filled with a miscellaneous crowd largely new comers, who are like a city mob, “the more part know not wherefore they are come together.”"
— 1900 June 14, E. E. Hasty, “The Afterthought: The ‘Old Reliable’ seen thru New and Unreliable Glasses”, in George W. York, editor, American Bee Journal, 40th year, number 24, Chicago, Ill., Robber-Bees and Balled Queens, page 374, column 1:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
His reckless behavior, driven by sheer ____, led to a very avoidable accident.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
His constant ____ frequently got him into trouble with both his teachers and his classmates.