folly
word
Definition
A lack of good sense or judgment; a foolish act or idea. It often refers to an action that seems very unwise.
Usage & Nuances
Formal or literary; 'folly' is rarely used in everyday speech. Common in phrases like 'the folly of youth' or 'it was pure folly'. Not to be confused with 'fool' (a person). Can refer to eccentric buildings called 'follies' in British English.
Spanish: locura - insensatezPortuguese (BR): loucura - insensatezPortuguese (PT): loucura - insensatezChinese (Simplified): 愚蠢 - 愚行Chinese (Traditional): 愚蠢 - 愚行Hindi: मूर्खता - अविवेकArabic: حماقة - طيشBengali: অবিবেচনা - বোকামিRussian: глупость - безрассудствоJapanese: 愚行 - 愚かさVietnamese: dại dột - hành động ngu xuẩnKorean: 어리석음 - 우둔한 행동Turkish: akılsızlık - delilik (akılsızca davranış)Urdu: حماقت - بےوقوفیIndonesian: kebodohan - tindakan bodoh
Example Sentences
Don’t let the folly of others influence your choices.
natural
It would be folly to climb the mountain alone.
basic
They realized their folly only after losing everything.
basic
Building the bridge there was an act of folly.
basic
Looking back, my decision to quit was pure folly.
natural
Some say starting your own business is a folly, but I disagree.
natural