plural follies
1
: lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight
his folly in thinking he could not be caught
2
a
: criminally or tragically foolish actions or conduct
b
3
: a foolish act or idea
The prank was a youthful folly.
4
: an excessively costly or unprofitable undertaking
Paying so much for that land was folly, since it was all rocks and scrub trees.
5
: an often extravagant picturesque building erected to suit a fanciful taste
Synonyms
Examples of folly in a Sentence
the folly of driving fast on steep, winding roads
his folly in thinking that he would not be noticed
The folly of such an action should be apparent to everyone.
the follies of the modern world
the famous Ziegfeld Follies of the 1920s
Recent Examples on the Web
Newsom and California similarly gave Trump a chance to call out the follies of Democratic rule, endearing the president to his own base.
—
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
But there’s also a little bit of hubris and folly in these articles.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
The gnome incarnates its human creator’s desires and dreams as well as Wallace’s follies.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025
With luminous, surreal animals, EMA challenges human folly in eerie silence.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for folly 
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Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2025
But there’s also a little bit of hubris and folly in these articles.
—Rob Wieland, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
The gnome incarnates its human creator’s desires and dreams as well as Wallace’s follies.
—Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2025
With luminous, surreal animals, EMA challenges human folly in eerie silence.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for folly
Dictionary Entries Near folly
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folly. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
folly
noun
fol·ly
ˈfäl-ē 
plural follies
1
: lack of good sense or judgment
2
: foolish behavior
3
: a foolish act or idea
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