Toolishness
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The nature of being a tool.
"The simplest tool I can think of is a piece of gravel used for making a road. Nothing is done to it, it owes its being a tool to the fact that is subserves a purpose. A broken piece of granite used for macadamizing a road is a more complex instrument, about the toolishness of which no doubt can be entertained."
- 2 Excessive concern with tools rather than results.
"The walls and halls of Hechinger headquarters are bedizened with icons to tools and toolishness, ranging from classic photographs to a machine that makes […]"
Example
More examples"The simplest tool I can think of is a piece of gravel used for making a road. Nothing is done to it, it owes its being a tool to the fact that is subserves a purpose. A broken piece of granite used for macadamizing a road is a more complex instrument, about the toolishness of which no doubt can be entertained."
Etymology
From tool + -ish + -ness, influenced by foolishness.
More for "toolishness"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.