foolish, fatuous

foolish, fatuous
These words, along with silly, simple, asinine, vapid, stupid, witless, and senseless, mean "lacking in judgment or intelligence, or both" and may ordinarily be used interchangeably. But they do have slightly different meanings and applications. A foolish person lacks both judgment and common sense and in addition may have a weak mind: "Eating heavily when you are not hungry is a foolish thing to do." "Your remarks are not only out of place but entirely foolish." Fatuous implies being not only dull and stupid but satisfied and complacent: "Because I have only one daughter, whom I adore, I realize that I am fatuous about her." "The lecturer haughtily provided fatuous answers to our questions." A foolish person cannot always help himself; a fatuous person usually can.

Dictionary of problem words and expressions. . 1975.

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  • foolish — foolishly, adv. foolishness, n. /fooh lish/, adj. 1. resulting from or showing a lack of sense; ill considered; unwise: a foolish action, a foolish speech. 2. lacking forethought or caution. 3. trifling, insignificant, or paltry. [1250 1300; ME… …   Universalium

  • foolish — fool•ish [[t]ˈfu lɪʃ[/t]] adj. 1) resulting from or showing a lack of sense 2) lacking forethought or caution 3) insignificant or paltry • Etymology: 1250–1300 fool′ish•ly, adv. fool′ish•ness, n. syn: foolish, fatuous, inane imply weakness of… …   From formal English to slang

  • fatuous — See foolish. See foolish, fatuous …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • foolish — See foolish, fatuous …   Dictionary of problem words and expressions

  • fatuous — I adjective absurd, absurdly foolish, addled, asinine, brainless, deficient in reason, destitute of reason, dumb, fatuitous, fatuus, foolish, idiotic, ill advised, illogical, imbecilic, inane, incapable of managing one s own affairs, inept,… …   Law dictionary

  • foolish — 1 *simple, silly, fatuous, asinine Analogous words: idiotic, imbecilic, moronic (see corresponding nouns at FOOL) Contrasted words: intelligent, clever, quick witted, bright, smart 2 Foolish, silly, absurd, preposterous, as applied to a person,… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • fatuous — [fach′o͞o əs] adj. [L fatuus, foolish < IE base * bhāt , to strike > BATTER1] 1. complacently stupid or inane; silly; foolish 2. Archaic like an ignis fatuus; illusory; unreal SYN. SILLY fatuously adv. fatuousness n …   English World dictionary

  • Fatuous — Fat u*ous, a. [L. fatuus.] 1. Feeble in mind; weak; silly; stupid; foolish; fatuitous. Glanvill. [1913 Webster] 2. Without reality; illusory, like the ignis fatuus. [1913 Webster] Thence fatuous fires and meteors take their birth. Danham. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • fatuous — c.1600, from L. fatuus foolish, insipid, silly; of uncertain origin (Buck suggests originally “stricken” in the head). Related: Fatuously; fatuousness …   Etymology dictionary

  • fatuous — asinine, silly, foolish, *simple Analogous words: idiotic, imbecile, moronic (see corresponding nouns at FOOL): *fond, infatuated, besotted, insensate Antonyms: sensible Contrasted words: sane, prudent, judicious, *wise, sage, sapient …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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