- foolish
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Analogous words: idiotic, imbecilic, moronic (see corresponding nouns at FOOL)Contrasted words: intelligent, clever, quick-witted, bright, smart2 Foolish, silly, absurd, preposterous, as applied to a person, his acts, behavior, and utterances, mean ridiculous because not exhibiting good sense.Something is foolish which does not commend itself to the judgment of others as wise or sensible or judicious{
a foolish investment
}{courageous behavior is easier for a man who fails to apprehend dangers, but such courage may often be foolish— Russell
}{only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of the moment— Roosevelt
}Something is silly which seems witless, pointless, or futile{a silly dispute
}{a silly sacrifice
}{how silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be, especially if he's getting on in years— Hammett
}Something is absurd which is inconsistent with accepted ideas, common sense, or sound reason; the word is applied, therefore, to ideas and projects considered impersonally as well as to persons and their acts{the absurd . . . dogma that the king can do no wrong— Shaw
}{the absurd predicament of seeming to argue that virtue is highly desirable but intensely unpleasant— Lippmann
}Something is preposterous which is glaringly absurd{if a man cannot see a church, it is preposterous to take his opinion about its altarpiece or painted window— T. H. Huxley
}or sometimes merely highly unsuitable or ridiculously out of keeping (as with a particular character or situation){he put on his preposterous old flowered cashmere dressing gown— D eland
}Analogous words: ridiculous, ludicrous, *laughableAntonyms: sensibleContrasted words: *wise, sane, judicious, prudent, sage, sapient
New Dictionary of Synonyms. 2014.