folly
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense.
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a foolish action, practice, idea, etc.; absurdity.
the folly of performing without a rehearsal.
- Synonyms:
- lunacy, madness, injudiciousness, indiscretion, foolishness, mistake, rashness, imprudence
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a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure.
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Architecture. a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found especially in England in the 18th century.
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follies, a theatrical revue.
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Obsolete. wickedness; wantonness.
noun
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the state or quality of being foolish; stupidity; rashness
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a foolish action, mistake, idea, etc
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a building in the form of a castle, temple, etc, built to satisfy a fancy or conceit, often of an eccentric kind
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(plural) theatre an elaborately costumed revue
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archaic
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evil; wickedness
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lewdness; wantonness
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Usage
What does folly mean? A folly is a foolish action. Follies can refer to various unwise practices, buildings with a purely ornamental purpose, or cabaret-style theatrical revues featuring lots of beautiful, dancing women.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of folly
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English folie, from Old French, derivative of fol, fou “foolish, mad”; equivalent to fool 1 + -y 3 ( def. )
Explanation
Folly is a noun that means "foolish or crazy behavior." It would be folly to spend all night playing video games when you have a difficult exam the next day. Folly comes from the Old French word folie meaning "madness, stupidity." It can describe the silly or nonsensical things you do, like the folly of trying to rush across town in the middle of a snowstorm. Or it can describe the trait that makes people act that way: the folly of an inexperienced driver who doesn't know you can't speed on snow-covered roads. Can you see the word fool in folly? Not a coincidence.
Vocabulary lists containing folly
This Week in Words: January 20 - 26, 2018
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"Common Sense," Vocabulary from the pamphlet
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Siddhartha
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Gold is the color of false idolatry, the material of gratuitous wealth, a hallmark of authoritarian style, and a metaphor for the folly of prioritizing personal enrichment and glory over everything else.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
As the cautionary 1945 fable “Animal Farm” memorably shows, George Orwell had some thoughts about the Soviet Union and the terrible folly in politicized moralism.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026
With this growth comes confidence, and with confidence comes, well, folly.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
Yet, “Pretty Lethal” is packed with run-don’t-walk folly that demands to be seen to be believed — if only to throw up your hands and say, “I guess!”
From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2026
‘Needless is Théoden’s demand, but it is useless to refuse. A king will have his way in his own hall, be it folly or wisdom.’
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
People forget about past follies, either by choice and/or because they’re distracted by the next shiny thing.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 6, 2026
The follies of the living were more than enough to keep him occupied.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 17, 2025
More aggressive fine print restrains other follies like the bond portfolio mismatches that undid California-based Silicon Valley Bank two years ago, says Davide Oneglia, director of European and global macro at TS Lombard.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
"It was the largest city in western Europe, with a population of over half a million, and it had an ebullient print media that was constantly commentating on the fashions and follies of the age."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2025
“Is that all?” asked Jo, as Mrs. March looked silently at the downcast face of her pretty daughter, and could not find it in her heart to blame her little follies.
From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.