What does "folly" mean?
Foolishness that results from a lack of foresight or lack of practicality.
Folly
/ˈfɑli/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Foolishness that results from a lack of foresight or lack of practicality.
- Grammar: folly is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: foolishness, absurd act, absurdity, absurdness.
- Useful contrasts: discretion, functional building, minerva.
- Usage evidence: You should be ashamed of your folly.
How to use "folly"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "folly" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "folly" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "folly" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "folly" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "folly" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "foolishness" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "folly", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Foolishness that results from a lack of foresight or lack of practicality. countable, uncountable
"It would be folly to walk all that way, knowing the shops are probably shut by now."
- 2 A clump of trees, particularly one on the crest of a hill (or sometimes on a stretch of open ground).
"'Every hill seems to have a Folly' [...] 'I mean a clump of trees on the top.'"
- 3 foolish or senseless behavior wordnet
- 4 Thoughtless action resulting in tragic consequence. countable, uncountable
"The purchase of Alaska from Russia was termed Seward's folly."
- 5 a stupid mistake wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A fanciful building built for purely ornamental reasons. countable, uncountable
"A luncheonette in the shape of a coffee cup is particularly conspicuous, as is intended of an architectural duck or folly."
- 7 the trait of acting stupidly or rashly wordnet
- 8 the quality of being rash and foolish wordnet
Verb
- 1 To follow. dialectal
""You got any money?" he said to me. ¶ "Hell no, maybe enough for a pint of whisky till I get to Denver. What about you?" ¶ "I know where I can get some." ¶ "Where?" "Anywhere. You can always folly a man down an alley, can't you?""
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"You should be ashamed of your folly."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "folly"?
Common synonyms include: foolishness, absurd act, absurdity, absurdness, act of folly, asininities.
How do you use "folly" in a sentence?
You should be ashamed of your folly.
How do you pronounce "folly"?
Pronounced /ˈfɑli/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Derived from Old French folie (“madness”), from the adjective fol (“mad, insane”).
Etymology 2
Uncertain. The most common theory is that term primarily denotes a clump of trees and relates to French feuille, feuillée and English foliage; it has also been suggested that it references some perceived connection or resemblance of the named place to an architectural folly, but many places so named have no architectural follies and cannot be named directly for them.