Synonyms for folly
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Foolishness
foolishness, stupidity, imbecility, madness, imprudence, foolery, idiocy, absurdity, lunacy, senselessness, ineptitude, irrationality, silliness, indiscretion, tomfoolery, indulgence, craziness, preposterousness, fatuity, unwiseness
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
Foolishness that results from a lack of foresight or lack of practicality.
It would be folly to walk all that way, knowing the shops are probably shut by now.
Related words
- Phrases
- garden folly
Forms
- Plural
- follies → foolishnesses, stupidities, imbecilities, madnesses…
Choose the right word
Folly and foolishness denote a want of mental and often of moral balance. Fatuity is sometimes used as equivalent to idiocy, but more frequently signifies conceited and excessive foolishness or folly.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- madness Though this be madness, yet there is method in it.
- stupidity There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity.
- foolishness I'm getting endlessly annoyed by this foolishness.
- frivolity My frivolity is the secret to my charm.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| folly | steady | |
| madness | rising | |
| stupidity | rising | |
| foolishness | rising | |
| imbecility | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 6 letters
- idiocy4, lunacy3
- 7 letters
- madness2, foolery3, fatuity
- 9 letters
- stupidity4, absurdity4, craziness3, silliness3, frivolity4
- 10 letters
- indulgence3, ineptitude4, tomfoolery, imprudence3, imbecility, unwiseness
- 11 letters
- foolishness3
- 12 letters
- indiscretion4
- 13 letters
- irrationality6, senselessness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (idiocy4 = 4 syllables).