1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea
the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment
in all my folly, I didn't think about how my actions would hurt my father
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
enough of this folly about moving to the Australian outback
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of folly
The book’s hero is Will Andrews, an idealistic college student, who gets lured into this folly by an ambitious, fortune-seeking hunter named Miller.
—
Calum Marsh, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Even the decision to join PSG, which looked to some like folly, made sense through a certain lens.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
But, first, how reporting on an architectural folly in Manhattan sparked a love for leaning towers everywhere.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2025
The new president realizes the folly inherent in ignoring the scope of our vast natural assets by arbitrarily restricting development of the resources necessary to provide Americans with the highest standard of living in the world.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 2 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Calum Marsh, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025
Even the decision to join PSG, which looked to some like folly, made sense through a certain lens.
—Jack Lang, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
But, first, how reporting on an architectural folly in Manhattan sparked a love for leaning towers everywhere.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 4 Feb. 2025
The new president realizes the folly inherent in ignoring the scope of our vast natural assets by arbitrarily restricting development of the resources necessary to provide Americans with the highest standard of living in the world.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 2 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for folly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for folly
Noun
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In 2013, Tyree Smith was found not guilty by reason of insanity in relation to the 2012 killing of Angel Gonzalez, whose body was discovered after he was hacked to death in a vacant apartment in Bridgeport, per NPR.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
23 Feb. 2025
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The definition of insanity is doing the same thing, expecting different results.—
NBC News,
NBC News,
23 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The peaceful scene of pandas resting in a meadow is quickly disturbed by Jack Black, Jason Momoa, and Sebastian Hansen hurtling to the ground at full speed with a bucket of video-game accurate water, and from there, all kinds of madness ensues.—
Billie Melissa,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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And when her brother-in-law, Stanley (Marlon Brando), rapes her, her descent into madness was made all the more vivid and believable by Leigh's precise depiction of vulnerability and instability.—
EW Staff,
EW.com,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Describing the plot as utter nonsense would both be 100 percent correct and likely taken as a massive compliment for all involved.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
7 Mar. 2025
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For Guy, using systems like Kibbe’s to guide your dress choices can mean making nonsense out of your clothes’ cultural grammar, especially in the rigidly codified world of menswear.—
Constance Grady,
Vox,
6 Mar. 2025
Noun
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An opening scene lays out the grotesque absurdity of the situation, as office manager Joy (Christiane Paul) delineates between culinary content and animal abuse in a meeting.—
Katie Rife,
IndieWire,
9 Mar. 2025
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The recent launch of Donald Trump’s self-proclaimed $TRUMP meme coin, which appeared to be an attempt to capitalize on his second inauguration, only reinforced the absurdity of this trend.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Phase 4: Making photo selects and designing the story Given the photographs' profound presence, our design approach prioritized intentional restraint and simplicity, aiming to create a supportive framework that would elevate the content.—
Caroline Newton,
Bon Appétit,
7 Mar. 2025
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The sandals also earn high marks for their simplicity and versatility.—
BestReviews,
The Mercury News,
7 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Beausoleil makes that claim, and argues that stupidity and self-preservation is also a sound reason for the Manson murders.—
Jake Kring-Schreifels,
TIME,
7 Mar. 2025
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Brooks – an author of books on the human condition -- is careful to delineate stupidity from intelligence.—
John Baldoni,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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More recently, however, both the manosphere and the alt-right have adopted the term cuck as a more general synonym for weakness, desperation and foolishness.—
Brooke Scelza,
Scientific American,
19 Sep. 2024
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The Adams case is not the only one that will bring the foolishness of this directive into sharp relief.—
Andrew C. McCarthy,
National Review,
15 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The property also grows its own herbs, greens, nuts, berries, and edible flowers.—
Bianca Salonga,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
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Focus on whole foods like fruits, leafy green vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
5 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/folly. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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