fool
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fool
(fo͞ol)n.
1. One who is deficient in judgment, sense, or understanding.
2. One who acts unwisely on a given occasion: I was a fool to have quit my job.
3. One who has been tricked or made to appear ridiculous; a dupe: They made a fool of me by pretending I had won.
4. Informal A person with a talent or enthusiasm for a certain activity: a dancing fool; a fool for skiing.
5. A member of a royal or noble household who provided entertainment, as with jokes or antics; a jester.
6. One who subverts convention or orthodoxy or varies from social conformity in order to reveal spiritual or moral truth: a holy fool.
7. A dessert made of stewed or puréed fruit mixed with cream or custard and served cold.
8. Archaic A mentally deficient person; an idiot.
v. fooled, fool·ing, fools
v.tr.
1. To deceive or trick; dupe: "trying to learn how to fool a trout with a little bit of floating fur and feather" (Charles Kuralt).
2. To confound or prove wrong; surprise, especially pleasantly: We were sure they would fail, but they fooled us.
v.intr.
1. Informal
a. To speak or act facetiously or in jest; joke: I was just fooling when I said I had to leave.
b. To behave comically; clown.
c. To feign; pretend: He said he had a toothache but he was only fooling.
2. To engage in idle or frivolous activity.
3. To toy, tinker, or mess: shouldn't fool with matches.
adj. Informal
Phrasal Verbs: Foolish; stupid: off on some fool errand or other.
fool around Informal
1. To engage in idle or casual activity; putter: was fooling around with the old car in hopes of fixing it.
2. To engage in frivolous activity; make fun.
3. To engage in casual sexual activity.
4.
a. To have a sexual affair with someone who is not one's spouse or partner.
b. To have many sexual affairs.
fool away
Idiom: To waste (time or money) foolishly; squander: fooled away the week's pay on Friday night.
play/act the fool
1. To act in an irresponsible or foolish manner.
2. To behave in a playful or comical manner.
[Middle English fol, from Old French, from Late Latin follis, windbag, fool, from Latin follis, bellows; see bhel- in Indo-European roots.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
fool
(fuːl)n
1. a person who lacks sense or judgement
2. a person who is made to appear ridiculous
3. (Historical Terms) (formerly) a professional jester living in a royal or noble household
4. obsolete an idiot or imbecile: the village fool.
5. form the fool Caribbean to play the fool or behave irritatingly
6. no fool a wise or sensible person
7. play the fool act the fool to deliberately act foolishly; indulge in buffoonery
vb
8. (tr) to deceive (someone), esp in order to make him or her look ridiculous
9. (intr; foll by with, around with, or about with) informal to act or play (with) irresponsibly or aimlessly: to fool around with a woman.
10. (intr) to speak or act in a playful, teasing, or jesting manner
11. (foll by: away) to squander; fritter: he fooled away a fortune.
12. fool along US to move or proceed in a leisurely way
adj
informal short for foolish
[C13: from Old French fol mad person, from Late Latin follis empty-headed fellow, from Latin: bellows; related to Latin flāre to blow]
fool
(fuːl)n
(Cookery) chiefly Brit a dessert made from a purée of fruit with cream or custard: gooseberry fool.
[C16: perhaps from fool1]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
fool1
(ful)n.
1. a silly or stupid person.
2. a professional jester, formerly kept by a person of rank for amusement: the court fool.
3. a person who has been tricked or deceived into appearing silly or stupid: to make a fool of someone.
4. an ardent enthusiast who cannot resist an opportunity to indulge an enthusiasm (usu. prec. by a present participle): a dancing fool.
v.t. 5. to trick, deceive, or impose on: They tried to fool us.
v.i. 6. to act like a fool; joke; play.
7. to jest; pretend; make believe: I was only fooling.
8. fool around,
a. to putter aimlessly; waste time.
b. to trifle or flirt.
c. to be sexually promiscuous; engage casually in sexual activity.
9. fool away, to squander foolishly, as time or money.
10. fool with, to handle or play with idly or carelessly.
Idioms: act or play the fool, to engage in silly or stupid behavior.
[1225–75; Middle English fol, fool < Old French fol < Latin follis bellows, bag]
fool2
(ful)n.
an English dessert of crushed, cooked fruit mixed with cream or custard and served cold: gooseberry fool.
[1590–1600]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
fool
Past participle: fooled
Gerund: fooling
| Imperative |
|---|
| fool |
| fool |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  fool - a person who lacks good judgment flibbertigibbet, foolish woman - a female fool bozo, cuckoo, fathead, goof, goofball, jackass, zany, goose - a man who is a stupid incompetent fool meshuggeneh, meshuggener - (Yiddish) a crazy fool morosoph - a learned fool putz - (Yiddish) a fool; an idiot wally - a silly and inept person; someone who is regarded as stupid |
| 2. |  fool - a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of | |
| 3. |  fool - a professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the Middle Ages | |
| Verb | 1. | fool - make a fool or dupe of |
| 2. | fool - spend frivolously and unwisely; "Fritter away one's inheritance" | |
| 3. |  fool - fool or hoax; "The immigrant was duped because he trusted everyone"; "You can't fool me!"kid, pull the leg of - tell false information to for fun; "Are you pulling my leg?" deceive, lead astray, betray - cause someone to believe an untruth; "The insurance company deceived me when they told me they were covering my house" | |
| 4. |  fool - indulge in horseplay; "Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!"; "The bored children were fooling about"play - be at play; be engaged in playful activity; amuse oneself in a way characteristic of children; "The kids were playing outside all day"; "I used to play with trucks as a little girl" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
fool
noun
1. simpleton, idiot, mug (Brit. slang), berk (Brit. slang), charlie (Brit. informal), silly, goose (informal), dope (informal), jerk (slang, chiefly U.S. & Canad.), dummy (slang), ass (U.S. & Canad. taboo slang), clot (Brit. informal), plank (Brit. slang), sap (slang), prick (derogatory slang), wally (slang), illiterate, prat (slang), plonker (slang), coot, moron, nit (informal), git (Brit. slang), geek (slang), twit (informal, chiefly Brit.), bonehead (slang), chump (informal), dunce, imbecile (informal), loon, clod, cretin, oaf, bozo (U.S. slang), dullard, dimwit (informal), ignoramus, dumbo (slang), jackass, dipstick (Brit. slang), dickhead (slang), gonzo (slang), schmuck (U.S. slang), dork (slang), nitwit (informal), dolt, blockhead, ninny, divvy (Brit. slang), bird-brain (informal), pillock (Brit. slang), halfwit, nincompoop, dweeb (U.S. slang), putz (U.S. slang), fathead (informal), weenie (U.S. informal), schlep (U.S. slang), eejit (Scot. & Irish), thicko (Brit. slang), dumb-ass (slang), pea-brain (slang), gobshite (Irish taboo slang), dunderhead, numpty (Scot. informal), doofus (slang, chiefly U.S.), lamebrain (informal), fuckwit (taboo slang), mooncalf, thickhead, clodpate (archaic), dickwit (slang), nerd or nurd (slang), numbskull or numskull, twerp or twirp (informal) He'd been a fool to get involved with her.
simpleton expert, master, genius, scholar, sage, boffin (Brit. informal), wise man, rocket scientist (informal, chiefly U.S.), savant, fundi (S. African)
simpleton expert, master, genius, scholar, sage, boffin (Brit. informal), wise man, rocket scientist (informal, chiefly U.S.), savant, fundi (S. African)
2. dupe, butt, mug (Brit. slang), sucker (slang), gull (archaic), stooge (slang), laughing stock, pushover (informal), fall guy (informal), chump (informal), greenhorn (informal), easy mark (informal) He feels she has made a fool of him.
3. jester, comic, clown, harlequin, motley, buffoon, pierrot, court jester, punchinello, joculator or (fem.) joculatrix, merry-andrew Every good court has its resident fool.
verb
1. deceive, cheat, mislead, delude, kid (informal), trick, take in, con (informal), stiff (slang), have (someone) on, bluff, hoax, dupe, beguile, gull (archaic), swindle, make a fool of, bamboozle, hoodwink, take for a ride (informal), put one over on (informal), play a trick on, pull a fast one on (informal) Art dealers fool a lot of people.
act or play the fool mess about, show off (informal), clown, play (silly) games, be silly, frolic, cavort, act up, lark about (informal), piss about (taboo slang), piss around (taboo slang), act the goat, cut capers, play the goat He likes to act the fool.
fool around or about
1. mess about, sleep around (informal), womanize (informal), philander, flirt, court, toy, trifle, mess about, mess around, dally, coquet Her husband was fooling around.
2. (Informal) mess about, hang around, idle, waste time, lark, play about, dawdle, kill time, fool about, play the fool, act the fool, footle (informal) Stop fooling about.
fool around with something (Informal) play around with, play with, tamper with, toy with, mess around with, meddle with, trifle with, fiddle around with (informal), monkey around with, piss about with (taboo slang), piss around with (taboo slang) He was fooling around with his cot, and he fell out of bed.
Quotations
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" [Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism]
"A fool and his words are soon parted" [William Shenstone Works]
"A fool uttereth all his mind" Bible: Proverbs
"I am two fools, I know,"
"For loving, and for saying so"
"In whining poetry" [John Donne Songs and Sonnets]
"Who loves not woman, wine and song"
"Remains a fool his whole life long" [attributed to Martin Luther]
"Be wise with speed;"
"A fool at forty is a fool indeed" [Edward Young The Love of Fame]
"There's a sucker born every minute" [Phineas T. Barnum]
"You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time" [attributed to both Phineas T. Barnum and Abraham Lincoln]
"A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees" [William Blake The Marriage of Heaven and Hell]
"A knowledgeable fool is a greater fool than an ignorant fool" [Molière Les Femmes Savantes]
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread" [Alexander Pope An Essay on Criticism]
"A fool and his words are soon parted" [William Shenstone Works]
"A fool uttereth all his mind" Bible: Proverbs
"I am two fools, I know,"
"For loving, and for saying so"
"In whining poetry" [John Donne Songs and Sonnets]
"Who loves not woman, wine and song"
"Remains a fool his whole life long" [attributed to Martin Luther]
"Be wise with speed;"
"A fool at forty is a fool indeed" [Edward Young The Love of Fame]
"There's a sucker born every minute" [Phineas T. Barnum]
"You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time" [attributed to both Phineas T. Barnum and Abraham Lincoln]
"A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees" [William Blake The Marriage of Heaven and Hell]
"A knowledgeable fool is a greater fool than an ignorant fool" [Molière Les Femmes Savantes]
Proverbs
"A fool and his money are soon parted"
"There's no fool like an old fool"
"Fools build houses and wise men live in them"
"A fool may give a wise man counsel"
"A fool and his money are soon parted"
"There's no fool like an old fool"
"Fools build houses and wise men live in them"
"A fool may give a wise man counsel"
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
fool
nounverb
1. To cause to accept what is false, especially by trickery or misrepresentation:
beguile, betray, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, double-cross, dupe, hoodwink, humbug, mislead, take in, trick.
Slang: four-flush.
2. To waste time by engaging in aimless activity:
Informal: fool around, mess around.
3. To handle something idly, ignorantly, or destructively:
Informal: monkey.
fool around
1. Informal. To waste time by engaging in aimless activity:
Informal: mess around.
3. Informal. To engage in kissing, caressing, and other amorous behavior:
Slang: make out.
4. Informal. To be sexually unfaithful to another:
fool away
To spend (money) excessively and usually foolishly:
Slang: blow.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
абдал
enganar
blázennapálithlupákklamatobelhávat
narnarretåbefjolle rundtfjols
typeryshölmöhovinarrihuijataidiootti
budalazavarati
bolondhülyéskedik
bjáni, heimskingiblekkja, leika áhaga sér eins og bjáni
だますばか者
바보속이다
stultus
kvailyspasirodyti kvailiupastatyti į kvailio padėtįvaizduoti kvailįapkvailinti
apmuļķotmuļķismuļķotmuļķoties
bufonpăcăliprostprosti
blázon
bedakbizgecbudalobukseljnorec
абдал
dåredumbomkrämluranarr
คนโง่หลอก
đánh lừađồ ngốc
fool
1 [fuːl]A. N
1. (= idiot) → tonto/a m/f, zonzo/a m/f (LAm)
don't be a fool! → ¡no seas tonto!
I was a fool not to go! → ¡qué tonto fui en no ir!
to act the fool → hacer el tonto
to be fool enough to do sth → ser lo bastante tonto como para hacer algo
to send sb on a fool's errand → enviar a algn a una misión inútil
to make a fool of sb → poner or dejar a algn en ridículo
to make a fool of o.s → quedar en ridículo
I'm nobody's fool → yo no me chupo el dedo, yo no tengo un pelo de tonto
to play the fool → hacer el tonto
some fool of a civil servant → algún funcionario imbécil
you fool! → ¡idiota!, ¡imbécil!
to live in a fool's paradise → vivir de ilusiones
there's no fool like an old fool → la cabeza blanca y el seso por venir
a fool and his money are soon parted → a los tontos no les dura el dinero
fools rush in (where angels fear to tread) → la ignorancia es osada
don't be a fool! → ¡no seas tonto!
I was a fool not to go! → ¡qué tonto fui en no ir!
to act the fool → hacer el tonto
to be fool enough to do sth → ser lo bastante tonto como para hacer algo
to send sb on a fool's errand → enviar a algn a una misión inútil
to make a fool of sb → poner or dejar a algn en ridículo
to make a fool of o.s → quedar en ridículo
I'm nobody's fool → yo no me chupo el dedo, yo no tengo un pelo de tonto
to play the fool → hacer el tonto
some fool of a civil servant → algún funcionario imbécil
you fool! → ¡idiota!, ¡imbécil!
to live in a fool's paradise → vivir de ilusiones
there's no fool like an old fool → la cabeza blanca y el seso por venir
a fool and his money are soon parted → a los tontos no les dura el dinero
fools rush in (where angels fear to tread) → la ignorancia es osada
2. (= jester) → bufón m
C. VT (= deceive) → engañar
you can't fool me → a mí no me engañas
"my husband has always been faithful to me" - "you could have fooled me!" (iro) → -mi marido siempre me ha sido fiel -¡qué fiel ni qué ocho cuartos!
you had me fooled there → casi lo creí, por poco me lo trago
that fooled him! → ¡aquello coló!, ¡se lo tragó!
that fooled nobody → aquello no engañó a nadie, nadie se tragó aquello
you can't fool me → a mí no me engañas
"my husband has always been faithful to me" - "you could have fooled me!" (iro) → -mi marido siempre me ha sido fiel -¡qué fiel ni qué ocho cuartos!
you had me fooled there → casi lo creí, por poco me lo trago
that fooled him! → ¡aquello coló!, ¡se lo tragó!
that fooled nobody → aquello no engañó a nadie, nadie se tragó aquello
D. VI → hacer el tonto
no fooling → en serio
I was only fooling → sólo era una broma
quit fooling! → ¡déjate de tonterías!
no fooling → en serio
I was only fooling → sólo era una broma
quit fooling! → ¡déjate de tonterías!
fool about fool around VI + ADV
1. (= waste time) → perder el tiempo
2. (= act the fool) → hacer el tonto
to fool about with sth (= play with) → jugar con algo; (and damage) → estropear algo; (= mess with) [+ drugs, drink, electricity] → jugar con
to fool about with sth (= play with) → jugar con algo; (and damage) → estropear algo; (= mess with) [+ drugs, drink, electricity] → jugar con
3. (= have an affair) to fool around with sb → tontear con algn
fool with VI + PREP to fool with sb → jugar con algn, hacer el tonto con algn
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
fool
[ˈfuːl] n → idiot(e) m/f
He was a fool to get involved with her → Il a été idiot de s'attacher à elle.
to make a fool of o.s. → se couvrir de ridicule
to make a fool of sb (= make look foolish) → tourner qn en ridicule (= trick) → avoir qn, duper qn
more fool you! (British) → quel nigaud!
He was a fool to get involved with her → Il a été idiot de s'attacher à elle.
to make a fool of o.s. → se couvrir de ridicule
to make a fool of sb (= make look foolish) → tourner qn en ridicule (= trick) → avoir qn, duper qn
more fool you! (British) → quel nigaud!
vt (= trick) → berner, duper
You can't fool me
BUT Vous ne me la ferez pas.; On ne me la fait pas.
to fool sb into doing sth → duper qn pour lui faire faire qch, berner qn pour lui faire faire qch
You can't fool me
BUT Vous ne me la ferez pas.; On ne me la fait pas.
to fool sb into doing sth → duper qn pour lui faire faire qch, berner qn pour lui faire faire qch
vi
to fool with sth (= have dealings with) → plaisanter avec qch
to fool with sb (= take risks) → plaisanter avec qn
to fool with sb (= take risks) → plaisanter avec qn
fool around
vi (= waste time) → traînailler, glandouiller
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
fool
1n
→ Dummkopf m, → Narr m, → Närrin f; don’t be a fool! → sei nicht (so) dumm!; some fool of a civil servant → irgend so ein blöder or doofer Beamter (inf); I was a fool not to realize → wie konnte ich nur so dumm sein und das nicht merken; have I been a fool! → war ich vielleicht dumm or blöd!, ich Idiot!; he was a fool not to accept → es war dumm von ihm, nicht anzunehmen; to be fool enough to … → so dumm or blöd (inf) → sein, zu …; to play or act the fool → Unsinn machen, herumalbern; he made himself look a fool in front of everyone → er machte sich vor allen lächerlich; to make a fool of somebody (with ridicule) → jdn lächerlich machen; (with a trick) → jdn zum Besten or zum Narren haben; he made a fool of himself at the party → er hat sich bei der Party blamiert; to go on a fool’s errand → einen nutzlosen Gang tun; to live in a fool’s paradise → in einem Traumland leben; there’s no fool like an old fool (Prov) → Alter schützt vor Torheit nicht (Prov); fools rush in (where angels fear to tread) (Prov) → blinder Eifer schadet nur (Prov) ? more, nobody
(= jester) → Narr m
adj (esp US inf) → doof (inf), → schwachsinnig (inf)
vi → herumalbern, Blödsinn machen; to fool with somebody/something → mit jdm/etw spielen; stop fooling (around)! → lass den Blödsinn!; I was only fooling → das war doch nur Spaß
vt → zum Narren haben or halten; (= trick) → hereinlegen (inf); (disguise, phoney accent etc) → täuschen; you won’t fool me so easily → so leicht können Sie mich nicht hereinlegen (inf); I was completely fooled → ich bin vollkommen darauf hereingefallen; you had me fooled → ich habe das tatsächlich geglaubt; who are you trying to fool? → wem willst du das weismachen?; they fooled him into believing that … → sie haben ihm weisgemacht, dass …; they fooled him into believing it → er hat es ihnen tatsächlich abgenommen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
fool
[fuːl]1. n
a. → sciocco/a, stupido/a, fesso/a; (jester) → buffone m, giullare m
you fool! → stupido!
don't be a fool! → non fare lo stupido!
I was a fool not to go → sono stato stupido a non andarci
some fool of a civil servant → uno stupido di impiegato statale
to play the fool → fare lo/la stupido/a
to live in a fool's paradise (fig) → vivere di illusioni
he is nobody's fool → non è mica scemo
to make a fool of sb → far fare a qn la figura dello scemo, prendere in giro qn
to make a fool of o.s. → rendersi or coprirsi di ridicolo/a
to go on a fool's errand → fare la strada per niente
you fool! → stupido!
don't be a fool! → non fare lo stupido!
I was a fool not to go → sono stato stupido a non andarci
some fool of a civil servant → uno stupido di impiegato statale
to play the fool → fare lo/la stupido/a
to live in a fool's paradise (fig) → vivere di illusioni
he is nobody's fool → non è mica scemo
to make a fool of sb → far fare a qn la figura dello scemo, prendere in giro qn
to make a fool of o.s. → rendersi or coprirsi di ridicolo/a
to go on a fool's errand → fare la strada per niente
b. (Culin) → frullato
2. adj (Am) → sciocco/a
fool about fool around vi + adv
a. (waste time) → perdere tempo
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
fool
(fuːl) noun a person without sense or intelligence. He is such a fool he never knows what to do.
verb1. to deceive. She completely fooled me with her story.
2. (often with about or around) to act like a fool or playfully. Stop fooling about!
ˈfoolish adjective1. having no sense. He is a foolish young man.
2. ridiculous. He looked very foolish.
ˈfoolishly adverbˈfoolishness noun
ˈfoolhardy adjective
taking foolish risks; rash. He made a foolhardy attempt to climb the mountain in winter.
ˈfoolhardiness nounˈfoolproof adjective
unable to go wrong. His new plan seems completely foolproof.
make a fool of to make (someone) appear ridiculous or stupid. He made a real fool of her by promising to marry her and then leaving her when he had spent all her money.
make a fool of oneself to act in such a way that people consider one ridiculous or stupid. She made a fool of herself at the party.
play the fool to act in a foolish manner, especially with the intention of amusing other people. He always played the fool when the teacher left the classroom.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
fool
→ مُغَفَّل, يُضَلِّلُ hlupák, napálit narre, tåbe Narr, täuschen κοροϊδεύω, κορόιδο engañar, tonto huijata, typerys idiot, tromper budala, zavarati buffone, ingannare だます, ばか者 바보, 속이다 dwaas, voor de gek houden dust, lure głupiec, wygłupić się bobo, enganar, pateta дурак, дурачить dumbom, lura คนโง่, หลอก ahmak, kandırmak đánh lừa, đồ ngốc 傻瓜, 愚弄Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009