folly
noun
fol·ly ˈfä-lē 
plural follies
1
: lack of good sense or normal prudence and foresight
his folly in thinking he could not be caught
2
a
: criminally or tragically foolish actions or conduct
b
obsolete : evil, wickedness
especially : lewd behavior
3
: a foolish act or idea
The prank was a youthful folly.
4
: an excessively costly or unprofitable undertaking
Paying so much for that land was folly, since it was all rocks and scrub trees.
5
: an often extravagant picturesque building erected to suit a fanciful taste
Synonyms
- absurdity
- asininity
- bêtise
- fatuity
- foolery
- foppery
- idiocy
- imbecility
- inanity
- insanity
- lunacy
- stupidity
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
the folly of driving fast on steep, winding roads his folly in thinking that he would not be noticed The folly of such an action should be apparent to everyone. the follies of the modern world the famous Ziegfeld Follies of the 1920s
Recent Examples on the Web Second, preventing epidemics is far more cost-effective than dealing with their consequences, and allocating funds only when a threat is knocking on our door is economic folly. 
Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2022 Free from Selig’s folly, the game can serve its ideal purpose — as a promotional and marketing vehicle for MLB’s galaxy of young stars from Mookie Betts to Shohei Ohtani to Rafael Devers to Juan Soto to Ronald Acuña Jr. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022 Never mind that the project is just a rich man’s folly, something that an 80-year-old millionaire decided to do in a bout of post-birthday ennui. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2022 In his feverish search for ecstatic truths, Herzog has given readers a portal into human folly, self-discipline and domination — surely his life’s work. Kristen Millares Young, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 Now Pittsburgh is following Portland’s folly, and families will pay for how politicians distort the housing market. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 May 2022 The idea that the studios will change their practices without legislative intervention is folly, and is summed up simply by the old saying: actions speak louder than words. Duncan Crabtree-ireland, Variety, 5 Aug. 2022 Though clearly a defeat for Hannity and his predictive folly, the ruling is nothing approaching a victory for the mainstream media. Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 Throwing over a kingship was only the beginning of his folly. Dominic Green, WSJ, 27 June 2022 See More
Ed Yong, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2022 Free from Selig’s folly, the game can serve its ideal purpose — as a promotional and marketing vehicle for MLB’s galaxy of young stars from Mookie Betts to Shohei Ohtani to Rafael Devers to Juan Soto to Ronald Acuña Jr. Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 19 July 2022 Never mind that the project is just a rich man’s folly, something that an 80-year-old millionaire decided to do in a bout of post-birthday ennui. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 16 June 2022 In his feverish search for ecstatic truths, Herzog has given readers a portal into human folly, self-discipline and domination — surely his life’s work. Kristen Millares Young, Washington Post, 16 June 2022 Now Pittsburgh is following Portland’s folly, and families will pay for how politicians distort the housing market. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 3 May 2022 The idea that the studios will change their practices without legislative intervention is folly, and is summed up simply by the old saying: actions speak louder than words. Duncan Crabtree-ireland, Variety, 5 Aug. 2022 Though clearly a defeat for Hannity and his predictive folly, the ruling is nothing approaching a victory for the mainstream media. Erik Wemple, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 Throwing over a kingship was only the beginning of his folly. Dominic Green, WSJ, 27 June 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English folie, from Anglo-French, from fol fool
First Known Use
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
folly
noun
fol·ly ˈfä-lē
plural follies
1
: lack of good sense
His own folly caused his trouble.
2
: a foolish act or idea
That plan was sheer folly.
folly
noun
1
as in insanity
a foolish act or idea the American purchase of Alaska was originally considered a grand folly Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- insanity
- idiocy
- absurdity
- stupidity
- madness
- imbecility
- foolery
- bêtise
- foppery
- inanity
- lunacy
- fatuity
- blunder
- asininity
- foolishness
- buffoonery
- craziness
- tomfoolery
- absurdness
- nonsense
- witlessness
- twaddle
- senselessness
- drivel
- monkeyshine(s)
- inaneness
- goof
- shenanigan(s)
- humbug
- bungle
- flub
- howler
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- wisdom
- prudence
- discretion
- sagacity
- forethought
- inspiration
- brainstorm
2
as in madness
lack of good sense or judgment in all my folly, I didn't think about how my actions would hurt my father Synonyms & Similar Words
- insanity
- madness
- foolishness
- simplicity
- absurdity
- unwisdom
- fatuousness
- imbecility
- preposterousness
- craziness
- inanity
- daftness
- stupidity
- silliness
- lunacy
- fatuity
- dottiness
- stupidness
- senselessness
- wackiness
- witlessness
- idiocy
- nuttiness
- asininity
- zaniness
- brainlessness
- balminess
- nonsensicalness
- obtuseness
- unreasonableness
- simplemindedness
- irrationality
- simpleness
- slowness
- dullness
- feeblemindedness
- fallacy
- dippiness
- dumbness
- ridiculousness
- oafishness
- mindlessness
- dulness
- dopiness
- vacuity
- doltishness
- denseness
- ludicrousness
- weirdness
- kookiness
- gormlessness
- laughableness
- dim-wittedness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- prudence
- sagacity
- wisdom
- soundness
- sanity
- sensibleness
- reasonableness
- sapience
- rationality
- validity
- insight
- reasonability
- perception
- logicality
- sagaciousness
- discernment
- sageness
- logicalness
- percipience
- rationalness
3
as in stupidity
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense enough of this folly about moving to the Australian outback Synonyms & Similar Words
- stupidity
- nonsense
- silliness
- nuts
- foolishness
- garbage
- rubbish
- drool
- blah
- insanity
- bunk
- muck
- madness
- craziness
- jazz
- absurdity
- trumpery
- twaddle
- trash
- tosh
- humbuggery
- rot
- balderdash
- claptrap
- bunkum
- bull
- hogwash
- piffle
- tommyrot
- beans
- folderol
- punk
- blither
- hokum
- baloney
- poppycock
- guff
- blatherskite
- flapdoodle
- bosh
- senselessness
- buncombe
- fiddle
- drivel
- blather
- crock
- hooey
- bilge
- fudge
- malarkey
- idiocy
- blarney
- falderal
- fiddlesticks
- humbug
- horsefeathers
- absurdness
- codswallop
- crapola
- malarky
- fiddle-faddle
- boloney
- imbecility
- blah-blah
- applesauce
- foolery
- hoodoo
- nerts
- hokeypokey
- moonshine
- inanity
- tarradiddle
- flannel
- taradiddle
- greek
- lunacy
- fatuity
- tomfoolery
- slush
- asininity
- witlessness
- gas
- kookiness
- rigmarole
- monkey business
- inaneness
- hot air
- monkeyshine(s)
- shenanigan(s)
- rigamarole
- hoity-toity
- hocus-pocus
- double-talk
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- sensibleness
- reasonableness
- rationality
- sense
- reasonability
- wisdom
- judgment
- judgement
- horse sense
- discernment
- levelheadedness
- common sense
- megalopine
- megalopolis
- megalopolises
- megalopolitan
- megalopolitanism
- megalopolitans
- megalopore
- megalops
- megalopses
- Megaloptera
- megalopterae
- megalopteran
- megalopteras
- megalopterous
- Megalopygidae
- Megalornis
- Megalornithidae
- megalosaur
- megalosaurians
- megalosauridaes
- megalosaurs
- Megalosaurus
- megalosauruses
- megalosphere
- megalospheric