folly
Use Folly in a sentence
i noun, plural fol·lies for 2–6.
1.
the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense.
2.
a foolish action, practice, idea, etc.; absurdity: the folly of performing without a rehearsal.
3.
a costly and foolish undertaking; unwise investment or expenditure.
4.
Architecture. a whimsical or extravagant structure built to serve as a conversation piece, lend interest to a view, commemorate a person or event, etc.: found especially in England in the 18th century.
5.
follies, a theatrical revue.
Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English folie < Old French, derivative of fol, fou foolish, mad. See fool1
1175–1225; Middle English folie < Old French, derivative of fol, fou foolish, mad. See fool1
Related forms
su·per·fol·ly, noun, plural su·per·fol·lies.
Synonyms
2. imprudence, rashness, mistake, foolishness, indiscretion, injudiciousness; madness, lunacy.
2. imprudence, rashness, mistake, foolishness, indiscretion, injudiciousness; madness, lunacy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To folly
00:10
Folly
is always a great word to know.
So is balustrade. Does it mean:
| a railing with supporting balusters or posts |
| the distinctively treated lowermost portion of any construction such as a monument or exterior wall |
Collins
World English Dictionary
folly (ˈfɒlɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -lies | |
| 1. | the state or quality of being foolish; stupidity; rashness |
| 2. | a foolish action, mistake, idea, etc |
| 3. | a building in the form of a castle, temple, etc, built to satisfy a fancy or conceit, often of an eccentric kind |
| 4. | (plural) theatre an elaborately costumed revue |
| 5. | archaic |
| a. evil; wickedness | |
| b. lewdness; wantonness | |
| [C13: from Old French folie madness, from fou mad; see | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
folly
early 13c., from O.Fr. folie, from fol (see fool). Sense of "costly structure considered to have shown folly in the builder" is attested from 1650s. Used since M.E. of place names, especially country estates, as a form of O.Fr. folie in its meaning "delight." Meaning "glamorous
theatrical revue with lots of pretty girls" is from 1880, from French.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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