Folly
'fɒli
Definitions
3 meaningsLack of good sense or judgment; foolishness.
'fɒli
Lack of good sense; foolishness.
It was pure folly for him to quit his job without another one lined up.
💡 Simply: Folly is when you do something silly or make a bad decision that you later regret. Like, it's folly to eat too much candy before bedtime, because then you can't sleep!
👶 For kids: Folly is doing something silly or dumb.
More Examples
The government's economic policies were viewed as a costly folly.
He realized the folly of his ways after losing everything.
How It's Used
"The play explores the folly of war."
"It would be folly to invest all your money in one stock."
A particular instance of foolish behavior.
'fɒli
A foolish act, idea, or practice.
His trip to Vegas was a reckless folly.
💡 Simply: Folly can also be a specific act that's a bit silly. Like, running in the rain when you're late is a folly.
👶 For kids: Folly is a silly thing you do.
More Examples
The expensive artwork was purchased as a result of a moment of folly.
Many young people do things they later regret as follies of youth.
How It's Used
"The construction of such a lavish building was considered a folly at the time."
"She regretted her youthful follies."
An extravagant, often non-functional building constructed primarily for ornamental purposes.
'fɒli
An ornamental building.
The garden was adorned with a picturesque folly resembling a Roman ruin.
💡 Simply: Sometimes, 'folly' means a fancy, beautiful building, like a little castle or a fake ruin, that's just for show and not for living in.
👶 For kids: Sometimes, folly is a fancy building that's pretty to look at, but not very useful.
More Examples
The wealthy landowner commissioned a series of follies to enhance the aesthetics of their property.
The architectural folly added a touch of whimsy to the landscape.
How It's Used
"The estate featured several decorative follies, including a small temple."
"Follies were a popular feature of English landscape gardens in the 18th century."
Idioms & expressions
folly of youth
Reckless or foolish actions undertaken during youth, often regretted later.
"He attributed his youthful indiscretions to the folly of youth."
a laughingstock
Someone who is laughed at or mocked because of their foolishness.
"His public blunder made him a laughingstock."
From Old French *folie*, derived from *fol* (fool), ultimately from Latin *follis* (bellows, something inflated or empty).
Used widely in literature and philosophy to denote human error and foolishness.
Memory tip
Think of a fool's actions as resulting in folly.
Word Origin
"empty-headedness; a foolish act"