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
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
Examples of folly in a Sentence
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
There are gardens of oleander, palms, and cacti, and a swimming pool beneath a folly of Greek columns.
—
Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024
After the Fourth of July folly, Baltimore’s relief corps fell to 12th with a 3.64 mark.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 4 July 2024
But Bowman’s behavior has been far worse than mere comic folly.
—The Editors, National Review, 25 June 2024
But human folly, served without moralistic garnish, stays funny forever.
—Mark Gimein, theweek, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for folly 
Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024
After the Fourth of July folly, Baltimore’s relief corps fell to 12th with a 3.64 mark.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 4 July 2024
But Bowman’s behavior has been far worse than mere comic folly.
—The Editors, National Review, 25 June 2024
But human folly, served without moralistic garnish, stays funny forever.
—Mark Gimein, theweek, 14 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for folly
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'folly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near folly
Cite this Entry
“Folly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/folly. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
folly
noun
fol·ly
ˈfäl-ē 
plural follies
1
: lack of good sense or judgment
2
: foolish behavior
3
: a foolish act or idea
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