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
Instead, Russia has paid a staggering price for Putin’s imperial folly, with hundreds of thousands of Russian casualties since February 2022 and more than $200 billion squandered.
—
Lloyd J. Austin Iii, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
This is exactly why Democrats on Sept. 30 filed a lawsuit to block this potential folly.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
Beyond being inspired by the follies of youth, the multidisciplinary artist’s latest body of work came as he was confronted by death.
—Violet Goldstone, WWD, 21 Oct. 2024
The ability of Venture Global and Cheniere to expand the supply of natural gas in real time demonstrates the folly of the Biden Administration’s attempts to discourage LNG exports.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024
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Lloyd J. Austin Iii, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
This is exactly why Democrats on Sept. 30 filed a lawsuit to block this potential folly.
—Philip Elliott, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
Beyond being inspired by the follies of youth, the multidisciplinary artist’s latest body of work came as he was confronted by death.
—Violet Goldstone, WWD, 21 Oct. 2024
The ability of Venture Global and Cheniere to expand the supply of natural gas in real time demonstrates the folly of the Biden Administration’s attempts to discourage LNG exports.
—Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 18 Oct. 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 22 Nov. 2024.
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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