fool Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a person who lacks good judgment
    saphead; sap; tomfool; muggins.
  2. noun a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
    soft touch; sucker; gull; patsy; fall guy; mug; chump; mark.
  3. noun a professional clown employed to entertain a king or nobleman in the Middle Ages
    jester; motley fool.
  4. verb make a fool or dupe of
    befool; gull.
  5. verb spend frivolously and unwisely
    shoot; fool away; fritter away; dissipate; frivol away; fritter.
    • Fritter away one's inheritance
  6. verb fool or hoax
    put on; gull; take in; dupe; befool; put one over; cod; put one across; slang.
    • The immigrant was duped because he trusted everyone
    • You can't fool me!
  7. verb indulge in horseplay
    arse around; fool around; horse around.
    • Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!
    • The bored children were fooling about

WordNet

Fool noun
Etymology
Cf. F. fouler to tread, crush. Cf. 1st Foil.
Definitions
  1. A compound of gooseberries scalded and crushed, with cream; -- commonly called gooseberry fool.
Fool noun
Etymology
OE. fol, n. & adj., F. fol, fou, foolish, mad; a fool, prob. fr. L. follis a bellows, wind bag, an inflated ball; perh. akin to E. bellows. Cf. Folly, Follicle.
Definitions
  1. One destitute of reason, or of the common powers of understanding; an idiot; a natural.
  2. A person deficient in intellect; one who acts absurdly, or pursues a course contrary to the dictates of wisdom; one without judgment; a simpleton; a dolt.
    Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools. Milton.
    Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other. Franklin.
  3. (Script.) One who acts contrary to moral and religious wisdom; a wicked person.
    The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Ps. xiv. 1.
  4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional jester or buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments.
    Can they think me . . . their fool or jester? Milton.
Fool intransitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Fooled ; present participle & verbal noun Fooling
Definitions
  1. To play the fool; to trifle; to toy; to spend time in idle sport or mirth. = to fool around
    Is this a time for fooling? Dryden.
Fool transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To infatuate; to make foolish. Shak.
    For, fooled with hope, men favor the deceit. Dryden.
  2. To use as a fool; to deceive in a shameful or mortifying manner; to impose upon; to cheat by inspiring foolish confidence; as, to fool one out of his money.
    You are fooled, discarded, and shook off By him for whom these shames ye underwent. Shak.

Webster 1913