Foolish
/ˈfuːlɪʃ/noun
Lacking good sense or judgment; unwise or silly.
Did you know?Foolish comes from Old English *fōl*, meaning “fool” or “simpleton,” with the suffix *-ish* forming an adjective—so the word literally means “fool-like,” not a mystical curse, but a very old insult.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
fōl
“fool, simpleton”
Old English
OE
fōlish
“fool-like; stupid”
Middle English
ME
folissh
“silly, lacking wisdom”
14th Century
English
foolish
“unwise, imprudent, senseless”
Modern English
English
foolish
“lacking good sense or judgment”