fool

noun

UK/fuːl/
US/fuːl/

Definitions of fool noun

person

  1. B1Countable

    a person who acts in a silly or unintelligent way

    • You silly fool, you've let the opportunity slip away!

    • If he believes she still cares for him, he's a complete fool.

    • He promised to pay me back, and like a fool, I trusted him.

  1. Countable

    a person who entertained a king or queen and their court with jokes and amusing behavior

food

  1. CountableUncountable

    a dessert made of fruit that has been crushed and mixed with cream or custard and sugar

    • gooseberry fool

Phrases of fool noun

  • make a fool of yourself

    To trick or deceive someone, often resulting in that person appearing foolish or ridiculous.

    You made a fool of me in front of all those people!

  • any fool

    Used to emphasize that someone is very unintelligent or incapable.

    Any fool could tell that she was joking.

  • make a fool of someone

    To deceive or manipulate someone into looking foolish or ridiculous.

    They made a fool of him during the meeting, making him look like a fool.

  • be no fool

    To be intelligent and not easily tricked or deceived.

    He didn't agree to the deal right away, he's no fool.

  • more fool someone

    This phrase is used to indicate that you believe someone is acting unwisely or foolishly.

    "He invested all his savings in that startup company." "More fool him, the company was so risky!"

  • act/play the fool

    To behave in a silly or foolish manner, often deliberately to make others laugh.

    He sometimes acts the fool in meetings, making people think he is funny.

verb

UK/fuːl/
US/fuːl/

Definitions of fool verb

  1. B2TransitiveIntransitive

    to deceive or trick someone

    • Don't let his outward appearance fool you.

    • She claimed to be doing it to help me, but I wasn't fooled by her actions.

    • Tim was deceived into thinking that he had won a large sum of money.

Phrases of fool verb

  • you could have fooled me!

    This phrase is used to express disbelief in what someone has just said, often implying that the person's words or actions do not align with their true feelings or intentions.

    "I don't care at all, really." "Oh really? You could have fooled me!"

adjective

UK/fuːl/
US/fuːl/

Definitions of fool adjective

  1. Before noun

    showing a lack of good sense or judgment

    • You've done some foolish things before, but none quite like this one.

    • That was a fool decision.

    • She quit her job for a fool reason.

Phrasal Verbs of fool

  • fool around

    to act in a foolish manner, particularly in a way that might lead to hazardous outcomes

    He was fooling around near the edge of the cliff and almost fell off.

  • fool with something

    to handle or engage with something that is challenging or hazardous

    He shouldn't fool with those dangerous chemicals; he's playing with fire.