follyfol‧ly /ˈfɒli $ ˈfɑːli/ noun (plural follies) 
Somerville bitterly regretted his folly at becoming involved.it would be folly to do something It would be sheer folly to reduce spending on health education. the follies of aristocratic society2[countable] an unusual building that was built in the past as a decoration, not to be used or lived in
WORD ORIGINfolly
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French folie, from fol; ➔ FOOL1EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- He dyed doves various bright colours to fly around and adorn the folly and the town.
- In fact, the only social folly I committed was to pretend I understood about contraception.
- Is it mad to spend £1 million on a folly?
- Now they expect responsible customers to pay for their folly.
- So far from abandoning our folly, we started pushing it as far as it would go.
- Why was it designated romantic folly?
WORD SETS
arcade, nounarch, nounarchitect, nounarchitecture, nounatrium, nounbailey, nounbastion, nouncampanile, nouncapital, nouncaryatid, nouncloistered, adjectivecolonial, adjectiveconservationist, nounCorinthian, adjectivecornice, noundolmen, noundome, noundomed, adjectiveDoric, adjectivefloor plan, nounflying buttress, nounfolly, nounGeorgian, adjectiveGothic, adjectiveground plan, nounIonic, adjectivemodernism, nounmonolith, nounmonument, nounmonumental, adjectiveNorman, adjectiveobelisk, nounopen-plan, adjectivepedestal, nounpediment, nounperistyle, nounpitched, adjectiveplinth, nounplot, nounportico, nounquadrangle, nounrambling, adjectiverampart, nounrococo, adjectiveRomanesque, adjectivescreen, nounspan, nounsplit-level, adjectivesquare, nounstonework, nounterrace, nountracery, nountransept, nountruss, nounvaulted, adjectivevaulting, nounvestibule, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It would be sheer folly to reduce spending on health education.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
1[countable, uncountable] formal a very stupid thing to do, especially one that is likely to have serious results: It would be sheer folly to reduce spending on health education.· He's become the pastor of our class, versed in all the range of human folly and fallibility.· It shows pleasure, pain and human folly.· That such a monument should now require a damp course is a suitably bizarre commentary on human folly.
· Throwing them away is sheer folly.· In part two: A slice of history.The birthday cake that was sheer folly.· Their lack of ease with each other is tangible and to pretend otherwise is sheer folly.· I happen to believe in miracles, but it would be sheer folly to depend on them.
Somerville bitterly regretted his folly at becoming involved.it would be folly to do something It would be sheer folly to reduce spending on health education. the follies of aristocratic society2[countable] an unusual building that was built in the past as a decoration, not to be used or lived in