fool
10 ENTRIES FOUND:
plural
fools
plural
fools
Britannica Dictionary definition of FOOL
[count]
1
:
a person who lacks good sense or judgment
:
a stupid or silly person
-
those fools who ride motorcycles without wearing helmets
-
Only a fool would ask such a silly question.
-
You'd be a fool to believe what he tells you.
-
You're making yourself look like a fool.
-
A fool and his money are soon parted. [=a foolish person spends money too quickly on unimportant things]
-
Any fool can see [=anyone can see] that he's lying.
-
I never thought you'd be fool enough to believe him. = I never thought you'd be enough of a fool to believe him.
-
(informal) Only that fool of a brother [=that foolish brother] of yours would ask such a silly question!
-
(informal) Some (damn/damned) fool of a driver kept trying to pass me!
-
Fools rush in (where angels fear to tread ). [=it is foolish to take action if you do not know much about what you are doing]
-
(Brit, informal) (The ) more fool you if you believe him. = (The) more fool you for believing him. [=you would be a fool to believe him]
-
(Brit, informal) More fool him for trusting her.
-
There's no fool like an old fool. [=a foolish old person is especially foolish because an old person should have learned from experience not to make the kind of mistakes a young person makes]
◊ A smart or clever person can be described as no fool or as nobody's fool.
-
He may not look very smart, but he's no fool.
-
Don't try to trick her—she's nobody's fool.
2
US, informal
:
a person who enjoys something very much
-
He's a dancing fool. [=he loves to dance]
-
He's a fool for candy. [=he loves to eat candy]
3
chiefly British
:
a dessert made with cooked fruit and cream or a thick sauce
4
:
jester
act/play the fool
:
to behave in a silly or foolish way
-
If you keep playing the fool by asking silly questions, people won't take you seriously.
make a fool of yourself
:
to behave in a very foolish or silly way
-
He got drunk at the party and made a fool of himself.
-
He's making a fool of himself over that woman.
make a fool (out) of
:
to cause (someone) to look stupid or foolish
-
She made a fool of me by insulting me in front of my friends.
—
see also april fools' day
2
fool
/ˈfuːl/
verb
fools;
fooled;
fooling
2
fool
/ˈfuːl/
verb
fools;
fooled;
fooling
Britannica Dictionary definition of FOOL
2
[+ object]
:
to make (someone) believe something that is not true
:
to trick (someone)
— often + into
— sometimes used figuratively
-
His disguise didn't fool anybody.
-
“He's an expert in his field.” “Well, you sure could have fooled me!” [=I doubt that he is really an expert in his field]
-
He really had me fooled.
-
Stop fooling yourself —she doesn't really love you.
-
He fooled me into thinking I could trust him.
-
We were fooled into thinking there was no danger.
-
fool the eye into seeing colors that aren't there
fool around
[phrasal verb] informal also British fool about
1
:
to do things that are not useful or serious
:
to waste time
-
We fooled around [=messed around] outdoors for a while, but then went inside to get some work done.
-
He decided it was time to stop fooling around and settle down and get married.
-
Wow, he's already done everything he promised. He doesn't fool around, does he? [=he gets things done quickly]
2
:
to have sex with someone who is not your husband, wife, or regular partner
— often + with
-
His wife discovered that he was fooling around (on her). [=that he was having sex with another woman]
-
His wife discovered that he was fooling around with his secretary.
3
fool around/about with (something)
a
:
to use or do (something) in a way that is not very serious
-
I'm not really a painter; I just like to fool around with paints.
b
:
to handle or play with (something) in a careless or foolish way
-
Stop fooling [=fiddling, messing] around with the stereo.
-
Don't fool around with that gun.
fool with
[phrasal verb] informal
1
fool with (something)
a
:
to handle or play with (something) in a careless way
:
to fool around with (something)
-
Don't fool with [=mess with] that gun.
b
:
to deal with or be involved with (something that causes or that could cause trouble)
-
The company doesn't want to fool with [=mess with, be bothered with] small distributors.
2
fool with (someone)
:
to deal with (someone) in a way that may cause anger or violence
-
I wouldn't want to fool with [=mess with] that guy.
3
fool
/ˈfuːl/
adjective
3
fool
/ˈfuːl/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of FOOL
always used before a noun
US, informal
