fool
♦ fool /f'uːl/ (fools fooling fooled)
1 [N-COUNT]
If you call someone a fool, you are indicating that you think they are not at all sensible and show a lack of good judgment.
`You fool!' she shouted...
He'd been a fool to get involved with her!
= idiot
2 [ADJ] ADJ n
Fool is used to describe an action or person that is not at all sensible and shows a lack of good judgment. (mainly AM INFORMAL)
What a damn fool thing to do!...
3 [VERB] V n, V n, V n into -ing
If someone fools you, they deceive or trick you.
Art dealers fool a lot of people...
Don't be fooled by his appearance...
They tried to fool you into coming after us.
= trick, con
4 [VERB] V with n
If you say that a person is fooling with something or someone, you mean that the way they are behaving is likely to cause problems.
What are you doing fooling with such a staggering sum of money?...
5 [PHRASE] V and N inflect
If you make a fool of someone, you make them seem silly by telling people about something stupid that they have done, or by tricking them.
Your brother is making a fool of you...
He'd been made a fool of.
6 [PHRASE] V and N inflect
If you make a fool of yourself, you behave in a way that makes other people think that you are silly or lacking in good judgment.
He was drinking and making a fool of himself.
7 [PHRASE]
If you say to someone `More fool you' when they tell you what they have done or what they plan to do, you are indicating that you think that it is silly and shows a lack of judgment. (BRIT)
Most managers couldn't care less about information technology. More fool them.
8 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you play the fool or act the fool, you behave in a playful, childish, and foolish way, usually in order to make other people laugh.
They used to play the fool together, calling each other silly names and giggling.damn fool
[ADJ] ADJ n
Damn fool means `very stupid'. (AM INFORMAL, OLD-FASHIONED, RUDE)
What a damn fool thing to do!fool about
see fool around 3fool around
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P with n
If you fool around, you behave in a silly, dangerous, or irresponsible way.
They were fooling around on an Army firing range...
Have you been fooling around with something you shouldn't?
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P with n, V P
If someone fools around with another person, especially when one of them is married, they have a casual sexual relationship.
Never fool around with the clients' wives...
Her husband was fooling around.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P
If you fool around, you behave in a playful, childish, and silly way, often in order to make people laugh. In British English, you can also say you fool about.
Stop fooling about, man...
They fooled around for the camera.
= mess aboutfool's gold
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
Fool's gold is a substance that is found in rock and that looks very like gold.
2 [N-UNCOUNT]
If you say that a plan for getting money is fool's gold, you mean that it is foolish to carry it out because you are sure that it will fail or cause problems.
The British establishment seems to be off on another quest for fool's gold.fool's para|dise
[N-SING] a N
If you say that someone is living in a fool's paradise, you are criticizing them because they are not aware that their present happy situation is likely to change and get worse.
...living in a fool's paradise of false prosperity.
1 [N-COUNT]
If you call someone a fool, you are indicating that you think they are not at all sensible and show a lack of good judgment.
`You fool!' she shouted...
He'd been a fool to get involved with her!
= idiot
2 [ADJ] ADJ n
Fool is used to describe an action or person that is not at all sensible and shows a lack of good judgment. (mainly AM INFORMAL)
What a damn fool thing to do!...
3 [VERB] V n, V n, V n into -ing
If someone fools you, they deceive or trick you.
Art dealers fool a lot of people...
Don't be fooled by his appearance...
They tried to fool you into coming after us.
= trick, con
4 [VERB] V with n
If you say that a person is fooling with something or someone, you mean that the way they are behaving is likely to cause problems.
What are you doing fooling with such a staggering sum of money?...
5 [PHRASE] V and N inflect
If you make a fool of someone, you make them seem silly by telling people about something stupid that they have done, or by tricking them.
Your brother is making a fool of you...
He'd been made a fool of.
6 [PHRASE] V and N inflect
If you make a fool of yourself, you behave in a way that makes other people think that you are silly or lacking in good judgment.
He was drinking and making a fool of himself.
7 [PHRASE]
If you say to someone `More fool you' when they tell you what they have done or what they plan to do, you are indicating that you think that it is silly and shows a lack of judgment. (BRIT)
Most managers couldn't care less about information technology. More fool them.
8 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you play the fool or act the fool, you behave in a playful, childish, and foolish way, usually in order to make other people laugh.
They used to play the fool together, calling each other silly names and giggling.damn fool
[ADJ] ADJ n
Damn fool means `very stupid'. (AM INFORMAL, OLD-FASHIONED, RUDE)
What a damn fool thing to do!fool about
see fool around 3fool around
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P with n
If you fool around, you behave in a silly, dangerous, or irresponsible way.
They were fooling around on an Army firing range...
Have you been fooling around with something you shouldn't?
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P with n, V P
If someone fools around with another person, especially when one of them is married, they have a casual sexual relationship.
Never fool around with the clients' wives...
Her husband was fooling around.
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P
If you fool around, you behave in a playful, childish, and silly way, often in order to make people laugh. In British English, you can also say you fool about.
Stop fooling about, man...
They fooled around for the camera.
= mess aboutfool's gold
1 [N-UNCOUNT]
Fool's gold is a substance that is found in rock and that looks very like gold.
2 [N-UNCOUNT]
If you say that a plan for getting money is fool's gold, you mean that it is foolish to carry it out because you are sure that it will fail or cause problems.
The British establishment seems to be off on another quest for fool's gold.fool's para|dise
[N-SING] a N
If you say that someone is living in a fool's paradise, you are criticizing them because they are not aware that their present happy situation is likely to change and get worse.
...living in a fool's paradise of false prosperity.