(fools, fooling, fooled)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
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
N-COUNT [disapproval]
2.
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!...
ADJ: ADJ n [disapproval]
3.
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
VERB: V n, V n, V n into -ing
4.
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?...
VERB: V with n
5.
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.
PHRASE: V and N inflect
6.
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.
PHRASE: V and N inflect
7.
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.
PHRASE [disapproval]
8.
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.
PHRASE: V inflects