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Fool

Definition: Fool

Fool

Adjective

1. (informal terms) "gave me a cockamamie reason for not going"; "wore a goofy hat"; "a silly idea"; "some wacky plan for selling more books".

2. (informal) having or revealing stupidity; "ridiculous anserine behavior"; "a dopey answer"; "a dopey kid"; "some fool idea about rewriting authors' books".

Noun

1. A person who lacks good judgment.

2. A person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of.

3. A professional clown employed to to entertain a king or nobleman in the middle ages.

Verb

1. Make a fool or dupe of.

2. Spend frivolously and unwisely; "Fritter away one's inheritance".

3. Fool or hoax; "The immigrant was duped because he trusted everyone"; "You can't fool me!".

4. Indulge in horseplay; "Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!"; "The bored children were fooling about".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "fool" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1010. (references)


Specialty Definition: Fool

DomainDefinition

Satire

FOOL, n. A person who pervades the domain of intellectual speculation and diffuses himself through the channels of moral activity. He is omnific, omniform, omnipercipient, omniscience, omnipotent. He it was who invented letters, printing, the railroad, the steamboat, the telegraph, the platitude and the circle of the sciences. He created patriotism and taught the nations war -- founded theology, philosophy, law, medicine and Chicago. He established monarchical and republican government. He is from everlasting to everlasting -- such as creation's dawn beheld he fooleth now. In the morning of time he sang upon primitive hills, and in the noonday of existence headed the procession of being. His grandmotherly hand was warmly tucked-in the set sun of civilization, and in the twilight he prepares Man's evening meal of milk-and-morality and turns down the covers of the universal grave. And after the rest of us shall have retired for the night of eternal oblivion he will sit up to write a history of human civilization. Source: Devil's Dictionary.

Computing

Fool n. As used by hackers, specifically describes a person who habitually reasons from obviously or demonstrably incorrect premises and cannot be persuaded by evidence to do otherwise; it is not generally used in its other senses, i.e., to describe a person with a native incapacity to reason correctly, or a clown. Indeed, in hackish experience many fools are capable of reasoning all too effectively in executing their errors. See also cretin, loser, fool file. The Algol 68-R compiler used to initialize its storage to the character string "F00LF00LF00LF00L..." because as a pointer or as a floating point number it caused a crash, and as an integer or a character string it was very recognizable in a dump. Sadly, one day a very senior professor at Nottingham University wrote a program that called him a fool. He proceeded to demonstrate the correctness of this assertion by lobbying the university (not quite successfully) to forbid the use of Algol on its computers. See also DEADBEEF. Source: Jargon File.

Biographical Satire

FOOL, A., a spendthrift lover. Fell in love with an unintelligent woman and one who never could understand. Followed his natural bents, even as you and I. Wasted several years. Wept profusely. End unknown. Recreation: Vampires. Epitaph: He Was Not The Only One. Source: Who was Who: 5000BC - 1914.

Literature

Fool In chess, the French call the "bishop" fou, and used to represent the piece in a fool's dress; hence, Regnier says, "Les fous sont aux échecs les plus proches des Rois" (14 Sat.). Fou is a corruption of the Eastern word Fol (an elephant), as Thomas Hyde remarks in his Ludis Orientalibus (i. 4), and on old boards the places occupied by our "bishops" were occupied by elephants.
A Tom Fool. A person who makes himself ridiculous. (See Tom.)
"The ancient and noble family of Tom Fool."
- Quarterly Review.
Fool [a food ], as gooseberry fool, raspberry fool, means gooseberries or raspberries pressed. (French, fouler, to press.). Source: Brewer's Dictionary.

Multilingual Slang

Arabic (sharmute), Bielorussian (pizdabol' ), Catalan (pallús), Quebecois (ostie de tata de crisse, tata), Spanish (agilipollao ). (references)

Slang in 1811

FOOL. A fool at the end of a stick; a fool at one end, and a maggot at the other; gibes on an angler. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Synonyms: Fool

Synonyms: anserine (adj), cockamamie (adj), cockamamy (adj), dopey (adj), dopy (adj), fool(a) (adj), foolish (adj), goofy (adj), gooselike (adj), goosey (adj), goosy (adj), sappy (adj), silly (adj), unreasonable (adj), wacky (adj), zany (adj), chump (n), fall guy (n), jester (n), mark (n), mug (n), muggins (n), patsy (n), sap (n), saphead (n), schlemiel (n), shlemiel (n), soft touch (n), sucker (n), tomfool (n), arse around (v), befool (v), cod (v), dissipate (v), dupe (v), fool around (v), fool away (v), fritter (v), fritter away (v), frivol away (v), gull (v), horse around (v), put on (v), put one across (v), put one over (v), shoot (v), slang (v), take in (v). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Fool

ContextSynonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).

Absence or want of Intellect

Moron, imbecile, idiot; fool; dumb animal; vegetable, brain-dead.

Deception

Verb: deceive, take in; defraud, cheat, jockey, do, cozen, diddle, nab, chouse, play one false, bilk, cully, jilt, bite, pluck, swindle, victimize; abuse; mystify; blind one's eyes; blindfold, hoodwink; throw dust into the eyes; dupe, gull, hoax, fool, befool, bamboozle, flimflam, hornswoggle; trick.

Disrespect

Have in derision; hold in derision; deride, scoff, barrack, sneer, laugh at, ridicule, gibe, mock, jeer, hiss, hoot, taunt, twit, niggle, gleek, gird, flout, fleer; roast, turn into ridicule; burlesque; laugh to scorn; (contempt); smoke; fool; make game of, make a fool of, make an April fool of; play a practical joke; lead one a dance, run the rig upon, have a fling at, scout; mob.

Dupe

Noun: dupe, gull, gudgeon, gobemouche, cull, cully, victim, pigeon, April fool; jay, sucker; laughingstock; Cyclops, simple Simon, flat; greenhorn; fool; puppet, cat's paw.

Humorist

Buffoon, farceur, merry-andrew, mime, tumbler, acrobat, mountebank, charlatan, posturemaster, harlequin, punch, pulcinella, scaramouch, clown; wearer of the cap and bells, wearer of the motley; motley fool; pantaloon, gypsy; jack-pudding, jack in the green, jack a dandy; wiseacre, wise guy, smartass; fool.

Ignoramus

Lubber; (bungler); fool; pedant.

Moron, imbecile, idiot; fool, jerk, nincompoop,moron, imbecile, idiot; fool, jerk, nincompoop, asshole.

Unskillfulness

Bungler; fool.

Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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Crosswords: Fool

English words defined with "fool": anserine, assBedaff, befool, bozo, buffoonclown, credible, cuckooDodipoll, dopey, dopy, Dor, Drevil, Driveler, dupefathead, feeble, flibbertigibbet, Fon, Fool-born, Fooled, Foolify, foolish, foolish woman, fool's paradise, fool's parsley, Fop-doodle, Fungegearing, gears, geartrain, get, goof, goose, Gooseberry fool, gooselike, goosey, goosy, gulljackassmake, Man of motley, meshuggener, monkey, Moroshop, morosophnerveless, Nidget, Noddy, Nupsonpower train, put on, put one across, put one overruddy duckslang, snookertake in, tamper, To give one the dor, To laugh at, To play the fool, To stand firmly on, To take into one's confidence, To trifle with, Tomnoddy, trainUnbefool, UnfoolWantwitzany. (references)
Specialty definitions using "fool": April, April Gentleman, ass out, Ass's BridgeBaptism for the dead, Barbe, Beans, BEN, Black is White, BONDSMAN, boofCircus, COKES, COXCOMBDagonet, DAU, Davus, DivinationFOLLY, FOOL FINDER, Fool in his Sleeve, Fool or Physician at Forty, Fool Thinks, Fools, FORBEARANCEGoukHead Shaved, Hob's Pound, Hunting the GowkJack-a-napes, JACOB, JESTERKing, Knave of SologneMorosObsolete, Old, Oracle of the Holy Bottle, BacbucPanurge, Physician or Fool, Poisson d'AvrilQuinapalusRadium, RALPH SPOONER, rascal, Rashleigh Osbaldistone, RHADOMANCER, Rick Mould, right, RUM CULL, RUM MAWNDsaint, scrapTO BAMBOOZLE, To SUCK, Turing testuser-obsequiousVanity, Vote, Vulcan death gripWhite in the Eye, WORMS. (references)
Etymologies containing "fool": Wantwit. (references)

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Modern Usage: Fool

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Hell, I am Mother Nature, and the time has come for plants to take back the world so rightfully ours! 'cause it's not nice to fool with Mother Nature (Batman & Robin; writing credit: Akiva Goldsman)

Break yourself, fool. (Friday; writing credit: D.J. Pooh, Ice Cube)

I'm asking you to marry me, you little fool. (Rebecca; writing credit: Daphne Du Maurier; Philip MacDonald)

A man without one is a fool. (The Avengers; writing credit: Don MacPherson. Based on the television series by Sydney Newman.)

That boy sure is a runnin' fool! (Forrest Gump; writing credit: Eric Roth)

Lyrics

Everybody plays the fool, sometime (Everybody Plays the Fool; performing artist: Aaron Neville)

The sentimental fool don't see (What A Fool Believes; performing artist: Doobie Brothers)

I was a fool with tha big boys breaking all tha rules (Dear Mama; performing artist: 2Pac)

You know you can't fool me (Lost In Love; performing artist: Air Supply)

And you can let some other fool sit down (Pop A Top; performing artist: Alan Jackson)

Clever

How did a fool and his money get together? (references; author: unknown)

Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool. (references; author: unknown)

The greatest fool of all is the man who fools himself. (references; author: unknown)

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. (references; author: unknown)

No man really becomes a fool until he stops asking questions. (references; author: unknown)

Movie/TV Titles

I'm No Fool with Electricity (1970)

The Tragic Diary of Zero the Fool (1969)

April Fool (1964)

I Thank a Fool (1962)

I'm No Fool as a Pedestrian (1956)

Song Titles

She's A Fool (performing artist: Lesley Gore)

Everybody Plays the Fool (performing artist: Main Ingredient)

The Fool on The Hill (performing artist: Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66)

What Kind of Fool Do You Think I Am (performing artist: The Tams)

Don't Let The Green Grass Fool You (performing artist: Wilson Pickett)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Fool

DomainTitle

Books

  • The Ugly Princess and the Wise Fool (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Periodicals

  

Theater & Movies

  

Music

  

High Tech

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Fool

Photos:
Fool

More pictures...

Illustrations:
Fool

More pictures...

Computer Images:
Fool

More pictures...

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Photo Album: Fool

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Don't play the giddy fool. Credit: Library of Congress.

Alicia plays like an idiot, said Lewis brutally : the money she's lost -- like a fool. Credit: Library of Congress.

Salesman: But, my friend, with a tractor you could do twice as much work : Why, ye durn fool ... Credit: Library of Congress.

Everything's coming up roses -- as any fool can plainly see!. Credit: Library of Congress.

April fool!. Credit: Library of Congress.

Ed Wynn, the perfect fool, in The chief His greatest entertainment on stage, screen or radio!. Credit: Library of Congress.

Yevgeny Yevtushenko, author of Ivan the Terrible & Ivan the Fool. Credit: Library of Congress.

Mary Worth. "I'm really a fool for luck, John!". Credit: Library of Congress.

A fool of fortune by Martha Morton : presented by Wm. H. Crane and his admirable company. Credit: Library of Congress.

You may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time -- but you can't fool all of the people all the time ... Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Sounds Captioned with "Fool".

PlayCaptionPlayCaption
Goofy; guffaw; daffy; dippy; fool; foolish; idiotic; inane; irrational; nonsensical; jokey; joshing; kooky; laughable; loony; ludicrous; nutty; senseless; silly; stupid; tomfool; wacky;; absurd; batty; boffo; comic; comical; facetious; farcical; foolheade.Blockhead; bonehead; dolt; donkey; dope; dunce; fool; halfwit; idiot; imbecile; jackass; jerk; nincompoop; nitwit; numskull; schmuck; simpleton; twerp; twit; ass; birdbrain; blockhead; bonehead; boob; bore; buffoon; butt; chump; clod; clown; cretin; dimwi.
Clown; clowny; funny; horn; honk; honking; joker; antic; buffoon; comedian; comic; cut-up; dolt; droll; farceur; fool; funnyman; gagman; gagster; harlequin; humorist; jester; jokesmith; jokester; madcap; merry-Andrew; merrymaker; mime; mountebank; mummer.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Fool

AuthorQuotation

Aeschylus

A prosperous fool is a grievous burden.

August Hare

None but a fool is always right.

Henri IV and France

The wisest fool in Christendom.

Hesiod

The fool knows after he's suffered.

John Dryden

Never was patriot yet, but was a fool.

Josh Billings

Incredulity is the wisdom of the fool.

Merit Crossword Puzzles

A fool and his money are invited places.

Moliere

You are a fool in four letters, my son.

Thomas Fuller

The fool wanders, a wise man travels.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Use in Literature: Fool

TitleAuthorQuote

Emma

Austen, Jane

And, without love, I am sure I should be a fool to change such a situation as mine

A Christmas Carol

Dickens, Charles

Somebody was fool enough to do it, but I took it off again

Les Miserables

Hugo, Victor

I was a fool.

Absalom and Achitophel

John Dryden

For every inch that is not fool is rogue

Time Enough for Love

Robert Heinlein

A fool kills from hate

King Richard III

Shakespeare, William

Fool, of thyself speak well

Grapes of Wrath

Steinbeck, John

Better not fool with him.

Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare

O! I am Fortune’s fool.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Fool

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

But don't let diabetic retinopathy fool you. It could get worse over the years and threaten your good vision. (references)

Business

Foreign interests disguised by domestic representatives, on the other hand, will not fool labor representatives and legislators. (references)

Economic History

Egypt

A corollary is that only a fool would offer one's best price, or anything close to it, early in negotiations. (references)

Lexicography

Devil's Dictionary

BONDSMAN, n. A fool who, having property of his own, undertakes to become responsible for that entrusted to another to a third. Philippe of Orleans wishing to appoint one of his favorites, a dissolute nobleman, to a high office, asked him what security he would be able to give. "I need no bondsmen," he replied, "for I can give you my word of honor." "And pray what may be the value of that?" inquired the amused Regent. "Monsieur, it is worth its weight in gold."

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Spoken Usage: Fool

SpeakerPhrase(s)

Bill Maher

They're, at the end of the day, patriotic Americans. They're politicians. They're a lot more alike than they are different. They exaggerate the differences during election times to fool us, and by the way, it worked.

Mary Tyler Moore

Well, don't fool around and test it to see if you can prove anything to yourself. Just keep doing what you're doing. That's good.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Usage Frequency: Fool

"Fool" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 83.72% of the time. "Fool" is used about 1,779 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words
Rank in English
Noun (singular)83.72%1,4895,464
Lexical Verb (infinitive)11.62%20721,147
Lexical Verb (base form)4.6%8236,594
Adjective (general or positive)0.06%1339,140
                    Total100.00%1,779N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Derived & Related Names: Fool

The following table summarizes names derived from the word "fool".
 
NameGenderLanguageMeaning
Evil-merodachN/ABiblical

The fool grinds bitterly

Evil-merodachN/ABiblical

The fool of Merodach

NabalN/ABiblical

Fool

UlaiN/ABiblical

Fool

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

 

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Expressions: Fool

Expressions using "fool": a bit of a fool act like a fool act the fool April fool be a fool for one's pains bloody fool blungering fool born fool Court fool damned fool desperate fool fool about fool about with fool along fool around fool around with fool away fool away one's time fool duck fool file fool out of fool smb. into believing smth. fool smb. out of smth. fool to the top of one fool to the top of one's bent fool with Gooseberry fool he is a positive fool he is nobody's fool he represented me as a fool he's no fool he's nobody's fool little fool make a fool of make a fool of oneself make a fool of smb. make an April fool of nobody's fool none but a fool play the fool precious fool silly little fool stark fool stupid fool To beg one for a fool To fool away To make a fool of To play the fool very fool. Additional references.

Hyphenated Usage

Beginning with "fool": Fool-born, fool-gladly, Fool-happy, fool-hardy, Fool-hasty, Fool-in-christ, Fool-large, Fool-largesse, fool-proof, fool-proof camera, fool-proofed, fool-proofing.

Ending with "fool": damned-fool, damn-fool, foal-fool, raspberry-fool.

Containing "fool": april-fool smb., april-fool-day, blooming-fool begonia.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Fool

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

act a fool

3,408

nobodys fool

42

fool

3,180

chain of fool

42

april fool

1,683

april fool trick

38

motley fool

1,104

kissing a fool

35

act fool lyrics

801

fall fool in love lyrics why

32

act fool ludacris lyrics

381

april fool day prank

31

act fool ludacris

302

act fool video

30

april fool prank

142

evanescence everybodys fool lyrics

30

fool rush in

117

act fool ludacris mp3

30

only fool and horse

97

motley fool uk

27

act by fool ludacris lyrics

92

april day fool joke s

27

ship of fool

82

act by fool ludacris

26

fool gold

61

50 fool

26

april fool day

60

act fool mp3

24

why do fool fall in love

58

chain fool lyrics

24

fool for love

57

act fool ludacris video

23

fool garden

57

motley fool.com

23

april fool joke

54

child fool make millionaire motley

23

motely fool

47

act fool ludacris lyrics radio

22

fool in rush soundtrack

45

fool hollow lake

21
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Fool

Language Translations for "fool"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Afrikaans

  

beetneem (captivate, capture, catch, clutch, grapple, hoax, mystify, take, take in, trick), beethê (have, have got hold of, hoax, mystify, trick), bedot (hoax, mystify, trick). (various references)

   

Albanian

  

teveqel (dolt, dull, dummy, foolish, imbecile, innocent, noodle, simpleton, zany, zombie), pure frutash, mashtroj (bamboozle, befool, beguile, besot, bilk, cheat, chicane, chisel, cozen, deceive, defalcate, defraud, delude, diddle, do, finagle, fleece, flimflam, fob, fudge, gyp, hocus, hoodwink, hose, impose, jockey, juggle, lead on, mislead, mump, nobble, overreach, palter, queer, ready up, shortchange, swindle, take advantage of, take for a ride), loço (booby, ninny, simpleton), idiot (ass, cretin, dizzy, idiot, idiotic, natural), i zoti (able, accomplished, adroit, capable, delicate, dexterous, dextrous, efficient, expert, natty, neat, neat-handed, proficient, skilful, skillful), i trashë (bearish, clumsy, coarse, coarse grained, crass, deep, dense, dullish, dumb, dummy, fat, fatuous, full-bodied, full-fed, gross, gruff, lardy, oafish, obese, obtuse, puddingy, purblind, ropy, rough and ready, round, roundabout, slapstick, slow witted, slowcoach, stupid, tactless, thick, uncouth, viscous, wooden, wooden-headed), hiqem si budalla, budalla (anserine, anserous, asinine, ass, blunderhead, booby, brainless, cabbage-head, chuckle-head, clod, cloddish, clod-poll, cockeyed, daft, dense, Dick, dim witted, dimwit, dumb, dumbbell, fathead, gaby, gaga, goof, goofy, goon, Goosey, gowk, half wit, idiot, idle-headed, imbecile, jobbernowl, jolterhead, josser, juggins, loon, mindless, moke, muff, mutton head, mutton-headed, nerd, nincompoop, ninny, ninny-hammer, nitwit, noddy, noodle, numskull, nut, owl, pin head, pumpkin-head, sheep's head, silly, slow witted, softhead, soft-headed, softy, spoony, stupid, tomfool, tom-noddy, witless), bëj budallallëqe. (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏مغفل (dense, dolt, dullard, dumb, dunce, dunderhead, dupe, fat-witted, foolish, licentious, moronic, mutton-headed, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, numskull, pointless, rubbishy, silly, simple, simple minded, simpleton, soft-headed, softy, stupid, thick-headed, weak-minded), ‏مزح (banter, banting, chaff, frolic, fun, in play, joke, kid, lark, make fun of, rag, skylark, trifle, waggle), ‏مخبول (crack-brained, crazed, demented, idiotic, insane, loony, lunatic, mad, mentally deranged, off his head, out of one's mind, potty, stupid, touched), ‏مجنون (barmy, bedlam, bonkers, crazy, daft, demented, dotty, insane, mad, madcap, maniac, maniacal, nut, off one's nut, out of one's head, out of one's mind, scatty, screwy, tomfool, up the pole), ‏هرج (buffoon, fussiness, pandemonium, playfulness), ‏خادع (bluffy, crafty, deceitful, deceptive, delusive, delusory, dishonest, double dealing, fallacious, false, illusive, illusory, insincere, misleading, rip off, trickish, tricky, wily), ‏خدع (bamboozle, beguile, betray, bilk, bitch, bite, blind, bluff, brown, bubble, camouflage, catch, cheat, chisel, con, crook, deceive, deception, decoy, defraud, delude, diddle, do, dupe, entrap, fall for, feint, fiddle, fob, fox, get round, give the lie to, gull, gyp, hoax, hocus pocus, humbug, illusory, impose, intrigue, jape, job, leg pull, lure, mislead, mock, mystify, nick, overreach, pitch, play a trick, pose, prank, pull a fast one, pull his leg, ream, rook, sell, settle his hash, skin, skunk, slang, stick, string along, swank, swindle, take for a ride, take in, trick, victimize, wile), ‏ابله (junkie, pillock), ‏بدد (burn, dally, dawdle, devour, disperse, dissipate, fritter, melt, resolve, scatter, slattern, spend, spoil, squander, throwaway, waste). (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

тъпак (ass, blockhead, blunderhead, dimwit, dolt, dope, dumbbell, dunce, dunderhead, jolterhead, leather-head, loggerhead, loon, lug, lummox, lunkhead, sheep's head, thick, tomnoddy, witling, yo-yo), шут (cutup, jester, merry andrew, mime, poll, scaramouch, shot, zany), глупак (bird brained, blinker, boeotian, bonehead, boob, booby, calf, chuckle-head, clod, clot, coot, dodo, dotterel, driveler, dummy, fathead, flat, gaby, gawk, goof, goon, gowk, greenhorn, gull, hammerhead, jackass, jobbernowl, lack-brain, lame brain, leather-head, lunkhead, muggins, mutt, mutton head, ninny, nitwit, noddy, noodle, numskull, nutter, oaf, pudding-head, pumpkin-head, sap, sap-head, schmo, schnook, sheep's head, silly, simp, simple, simpleton, spoon, stupe, stupid, thickhead, tomfool, twit, witling, wittol, zany, zombie), глупав (anserine, asinine, blackhearted, blithering, blockish, blunt, brainless, cockscomb, crass, daft, dense, dim witted, dopey, dopy, dozy, fat, fatuous, flat-footed, foolish, footless, footling, goofy, hebetate, inane, inept, irrational, lame brain, lumpish, lunatic, mindless, mutton-headed, nonsensical, off one's nut, piffling, puddingy, puerile, purblind, sappy, senseless, silly, simple, slow witted, stockish, stupid, thick, thick-skulled, thick-witted, tomfool, trumpery, unintelligent, unwise, vacant, vacuous, whacked, witless, wooden-headed), жертва (casualty, fall guy, immolation, mug, oblation, offering, patsy, prey, sacrifice, victim), абдал (simpleton), пюре (mash, puree), предмет на подигравка (taunt), правя си шега, подхлъзвам (cheat, diddle, do smb., dupe, take smb. for a ride, trick), подлъгвам (cheat, dupe, entice, humbug, trick), подигравам (bosh, laugh at, make fun of, mock, ridicule, roast, send up), палячо (buffoon, clown, goon, jester, tomfool, zany), измамвам (abuse, befool, beguile, catch, chisel, chouse, clip, cross, dash, defraud, diddle, fix, flam, fob, gaff, go back on, green, gull, hijack, kid, mislead, mock, nobble, overreach, play false, pluck, prey, pull a fast one, put across, put on, screw, sell, shaft, short-change, slip over, spoof, swindle, take for a ride, take in, trick, trim), държа се глупашки. (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

笨蛋 (idiot), 傻" (crackpot, wanker), 呆子 (sucker). (various references)

   

Czech

  

trouba (blockhead, dodo, goof, lemon, nitwit, numskull, oaf, oven, tube), podvést (cheat, deceive, defraud, double cross, dupe, guile, let down, pluck, rope, swindle, take advantage of, victimize), pošetilec, pitomý (bloody, daft, dopey, dumb, foolish, frigging, gormless, idiotic, jerked), osel (ass, donkey, dunce, jackass), omezený (circumscribed, dozy, insular, limitative, limited, narrow, obtuse, restricted, scanty, thickheaded, tight), oklamat (befool, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, hoodwink, sham), napálit (bamboozle, beat, cheat, con, dupe, hoax, slog, take in), hlupák (ass, blockhead, booby, chump, dolt, dotterel, dottrel, dunce, dupe, gaby, half wit, idiot, ignoramus, jobbernowl, leather-head, loggerhead, pudding-head, sap-head, simpleton, thick-head, tomfool), dìlat si legraci, blázen (freak, gander, lunatic, nut, nutcase), žertovat (banter, fool around, jest, joke, make fun, play tricks, trifle), šašek (antics, clown, jester, merry andrew, mimic, squirt, zany). (various references)

   

Danish

  

idiotsikker anordning (fool-proof device). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

zot (absurd, buffoon, foolish, jester, ridiculous), malloot, dwaas (absurd, foolish). (various references)

   

Esperanto

  

stultulo, mistifiki (hoax, mystify, trick), mistifikaĉi (cheat, defraud, swindle), malsaĝulo. (various references)

   

Farsi 

  

فریب دادن (Bob, Cheat, Deceive, Delude, Dissimulate, Doin, Hoodwink, Hum, Humbug, Jape, Mislead), مسخره (Clown, Dult, Hobbyhorse, Irony, Jeer, Mockery, Mower, Rustic, Sikt, Spoof, Witticism, Zany), نادان (Asinine, Ignorant, Inept, Silly, Simple, Unlettered, Untaught, Unwise, Yokel), لوده (Buffoon, Clown, Hobbyhorse, Zany), گول زدن (Bamboozle, Beguile, Cajole, Cheat, Con, Deceive, Defraud, Doodle, Dupe, Entrap, Gaff, Gouge, Gull, Gum, Gyp, Hoax, Hustle, Jockey, Outwit, Rogue, Swindle, Wheedle), احمق (Asinine, Cockeyed, Cockscomb, Daft, Dense, Dopey, Dult, Gawky, Gosling, Hick, Inane, Loggerhead, Loony, Natural, Nincompoop, Noodle, Sawney, Senseless, Simpleton, Sot, Spoony, Stupid, Sucker, Unmeaning), ابله (Asinine, Blister, Dolt, Doodle, Doter, Imbecile, Mome, Screwball, Silly, Simpleton), دلقک (Buffoon, Jester, Pantaloon, Stooge), دست انداختن (Banter, Game, Gibe, Hoax, Kid, Lark, Ridicule, Spoof). (various references)

   

Finnish

  

vetää nenästä, tomppeli (ass, dolt), tolvana (dunce, ignoramus), tollo (dunce, ignoramus), petkuttaa (cheat, pull a person's leg, swindle, take in, trick), narri (clown), narrata (cheat, dupe, take in), kaistapää (madcap), jymäyttää (take . . in), huiputtaa (cheat, diddle, dupe), houkka (dupe, idiot), hölmö (idiot, simpleton). (various references)

   

French

  

sot (foolish), imbécile (foolhardy). (various references)

   

Frisian

  

healwiis (absurd, lunatic), deadling. (various references)

   

German

  

tor (archway, door, gate, gateway, goal, hoop, port, portal), narren (dupe, hoax, jesters, make a fool of, mystify, to hoax, trick), narr (goop, jester, zany), dummkopf (ass, blockhead, bonehead, booby, chump, dimwit, dullard, dunce, goose, half wit, idiot, imbecile, jackass, loggerhead, meathead, nit, nitwit, pinhead, thick, thickhead, thick-head). (various references)

   

Greek 

  

κοροϊδεύω (dupe, guy, kid, mock, razz, ridicule, spoof, string along, take the mickey out of). (various references)

   

Hebrew 

  

ליצן (buffoon, clown, droll, harlequin, jack-pudding, jester, scoffer, wag, zany), לרמות (bamboozle, cheat, deceit, deceive, dupe, fob, hoodwnk, humbug, shortchange, sting, swindle, take for a ride, take in), שוט" (barmy, brainless, daft, dolt, dupe, idiot, imbecile, noodle, oaf, sappy, silly, stupid), אויל (evil person, prattler, silly, sot, stupid), חושם, חסר "ע" (ament, madman, senseless, silly, witless), כסיל (dolt, dupe, moron, oaf, simpleton), ""יוט (common folk, ignoramus, laic, lay, layman, plebeian), טפש (goof, goofy, imbecile, nonsensical, silly, simpleton, stupid, unwise). (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

udvari bohóc, gyümölcskrém, együgyű (blunt-witted, daw, green, half-witted, puerile, simple, simpleton), bolond ember (bozo, coot, jackass, nut, wacko, whacko), bolond (batty, berk, bonkers, coxcomb, cracked, crackpot, crazed, crazy, daft, dement, demented, dippy, droll, foolish, goofy, hare-brained, loco, loony, lunatic, mad, madman, moonstruck, nutter, nutty, off the beam, ratty, scatty, screwy, to be not such a fool as people make out, to be nuts, to be up the pole, up the pole). (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

membodohi, bodoh (dull, dumb, hare-brained, idiot, obtuse, wooden-headed). (various references)

   

Italian

  

idiota (fook, idiot, idiotic, mooncalf, moron, stupid, twerp), allocco (ass, chump, gawk, hardhead, loggerhead, oaf, owl, tawny owl, thickhead). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

愚人. (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

うすのろ (half-wit, simpleton), と"ちき (dimwit, dope, idiot, numbskull), と"ま (dope, idiot), あほ" ら (airhead, oaf), あほう (idiot, simpleton), "け (folly, moss), ぬけさく (blockhead), ちじ" (acquaintance, dunce, friend, idiot), ふぬけ (coward), たわけもの (joker, trickster), ぼけ (Alzheimer's, idiot, Japanese quince, out of it from, space case, touched in the head from), ぐじ", しれもの (dunce, idiot), ぐぶつ, ぐしゃ (nitwit), おろかもの, おどけもの (joker, trickster), ばか (folly, idiot, trivial matter). (various references)

   

Korean 

  

"보. (various references)

   

Malay

  

gila (crazy, insane, mad, nuts). (various references)

   

Manx

  

ommidan (crackpot, cretin, dope, featherbrain, imbecile, loony, moron, mug, nutcase, twit, widgeon), molley (baffle, bafflement, beguile, bluff, cajole, captivate, cheering, deceit, deceive, deception, disappoint, disappointment, foil, impose, imposition, trick), moal-hushtagh (half-witted, idiot, idiotic, imbecile), bleb (dupe, idiot). (various references)

   

Norwegian

  

tosk (jerk), tøyse, narre (delude, dupe, frame), bedra (cheat, deceive). (various references)

   

Papiamen

  

sokete (addled, foolish, stupid), lolo, lolas, chiflá, chambòn (addled, foolish, stupid). (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

oolfay.(various references)

   

Polish

  

głupiec. (various references)

   

Portuguese

  

tolo (addle-brained, addled, corny, cuddy, daft, dull, finical, foolish, gaby, goat, gowk, gull, hard-hearted, inept, insane, insensate, looby, loony, mad, madman, naïve, nincompoop, ninny, ninny-hammer, nitwit, pigeon, pumpkin-head, screwy, silly, simpleton, softhead, softy, spoon, spoony, stock, stupe, stupid, tomfool, tom-noddy, vacuous, wacky, witless), pateta (batty, booby, calf, chuckle-head, chump, clod-poll, coot, cracky, crazy, cuddy, daft, dolt, doodle, driveller, dumb, dupe, fanny, fat-head, gander, gawk, goof, goofy, goose, idiot, jackanapes, jay, jolterhead, josser, juggins, know-nothing, loggerhead, looby, lubber-head, lummox, mooncalf, mutt, mutton-headed, natural, nincompoop, ninny, ninny-hammer, nitwitted, noddy, noodle, numskull, oaf, poop, prodigy, pudding-head, rattle-brained, rattle-headed, sawney, silly, simp, simpleton, slob, softhead, softy, spoony, stupid, sucker, tomfool, tom-noddy, zany), estúpido (addle-brained, addled, ass, blockhead, blockish, blunderer, blunderhead, boeotian, booby, bovine, chuckle-head, chump, crass, dense, dim-witted, dolt, dull, dumb, dunce, dunderhead, fat-head, fatuous, featherbrained, foolish, goofy, jolterhead, lubber, lubber-head, lubberly, lumpish, mindless, mutton-head, mutton-headed, numskull, oafish, obtuse, pigheaded, silly, slow, stock, stupe, stupid, thick-headed, thick-skulled, thick-witted, unintelligent, vacuous). (various references)

   

Romanian

  

face pe prostul (affect ignorance, play the fool), imbecil (half-witted, idiot, idiotic, idiotical, imbecile, moron, nincompoop, soft-headed, witless, wooden-headed), caraghios (antic, blockhead, booby, buffoon, comic, dolt, eccentric, foolish, funny, ridiculous, ridiculously, screaming, singular, strange, zany), clovn (buffoon, clown, harlequin, mime, pantaloon), cremã de fructe, duce (bear, blow away, bring, carry, convey, deliver, die, drive, duke, fare, go, guide, kid, lead, live, outsmart, palm off, prosecute, pull, push, support, take, tend, wage, wear), gelatinã de fructe, glumi (dally, jape, jest, joke, jolly, kid, lark), bufon (antic, buffoon, butt, cut up, harlequin, jester, merry andrew, mugger, pantaloon, zany), idiot (cretinous, half wit, idiot, idiotic, idiotical, idiotically, lunkhead, mooncalf, mutt, nincompoop, numskull, piffling, senseless, soft, stick, stupid), trage pe sfoarã (bilk, chisel, con, diddle, do, do brown, do the dirty, double cross, fob, Fox, gammon, impose, kid, let in, nobble, take in, trick, wangle), nãtãrãu (buffer, calf, donkey, goofy, jay, sheep, sheepish, simpleton, witless), nebun (bad, bedlamite, bishop, brain sick, cracked, crazy, daft, delirious, demented, demoniac, distracted, distraught, extravagant, foolish, frantic, frenzied, infatuated, insane, lunatic, mad, mad about, madcap, madman, maniac, maniacial, moon-struck, potty, raving, reckless, unruly, wild), nerod (balmy, blockhead, dunderhead, gudgeon, ninny, numskull, oaf, oafish, snipe, spoony), pãcãli (cheat, deceive, diddle, do, dupe, gammon, get, gull, hoax, hocus, hornswoggle, kid, let in, lime, nobble, outflank, outsmart, outwit, sell, Spruce, stuff, trick, trump, twist), prost (ass, bad, badly, beef-witted, blinkard, blockhead, blunt, booby, calf, cheap, clumsy, cock eyed, common, dead, dolt, doltish, donkey, dull, dullard, dumb, dunce, dunderhead, flat, foolish, good for nothing, goof, goon, goose, Goosey, gull, harmful, idiot, idiotish, inhospitable, lousy, lubber-head, miserable, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, nitwitted, noddy, noodle, numskull, numskulled, oaf, oafish, pin head, poor, poorly, silly, simple, simpleton, snipe, soft, soft-headed, sorry, spoony, stupid, thoughtless, unfavorable, unfavourable, wretched, zombie), prosti (bamboozle, besot, chaff, chouse, dull, dupe, make a fool of, stultify, stupefy), se ţine de prostii, tâmpit (addle, addle-brained, awfully, blunt, brain-hampered, chucklehead, clod, crass, daft, dense, dim, donkey, Dotty, duffer, dull, dumb, dumb bell, fiddling, idiot, imbecile, jay, lubber-head, lunkhead, mutt, piffling, pillock, sap, squarehead, stupid, sucker), gogoman (addle-headed, booby, foolish). (various references)

   

Russian 

  

шут (buffoon, clown, droll, harlequin, jester, man of motley, merry andrew, mountebank, tomfool, zany), глупец (buzzard, cuckoo, dweeb, gander, lump), одурачивать дурак, болван (beetle-head, berk, blockhead, blunderhead, boob, booby, chuckle-head, chump, chunk, dolt, doodle, dope, dumbbell, dumbo, dumbo the flying elephant, dummy, dunce, dunderhead, fat-head, goon, hardhead, jackass, jobbernowl, jolterhead, leather-head, loggerhead, loghead, log-head, lubber-head, lump, lunkhead, mutt, mutton head, mutton-head, nerd, numskull, pudding-head), дурачить, дурак (berk, blunderhead, bonehead, bone-head, cuddy, dimwit, goof, goose, half-wit, jackass, juggins, lack-brain, log-head, man of Gotham, moke, mutt, mutton-head, ninny, nitwit, nut, pin-head, pumpkin-head, sap-head, sheep's head, sheep's-head, silly, softy, tomfool, tomnoddy, wise man of Gotham, wooden head), дура. (various references)

   

Scottish

  

burraidh (ablockhead, blockhead, or -nean), amhlair (boor, dull, stupid person), amadan. (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

zvekan (silly), prevariti (bamboozle, beguile, bilk, cheat, chicane, chisel, chouse, circumvent, con, deceive, diddle, double cross, flimflam, get round, gyp, hoodwink, mulct, rook, rope, rope in, screw, set up, skunk, stick, string along, take in, trick, victimize), budala (bullhead, cockeye, cuckoo, dolt, dumdum, gaby, gawk, half wit, jackass, josser, nincompoop, ninny, ninny-hammer, sap, tomfool), šaliti se (droll, fool around, jest, joke, kid, lark, monkey, niggle, trifle). (various references)

   

Spanish

  

engañar (bamboozle, be deceptive, befool, beguile, belie, betray, bilk, bite, bluff, buffalo, cheat, cheat on, circumvent, con, cozen, deceive, delude, do a room, double cross, dupe, fob, hoax, hocus, hoodwink, kill, mislead, mystify, outsmart, pull a fast one, put across, put off, put over, put upon, spoof, stay, swindle, take in, trick, while away). (various references)

   

Sranan

  

dumakuku, donman. (various references)

   

Swahili

  

mjinga. (various references)

   

Swedish

  

narr (harlequin, jester), dumbom (bonehead, dunce, gaby, goof, goon, idiot, innocent, jobbernowl, jolterhead, lack-brain, Looby, loon, ninny, ninny-hammer, nitwit, poop, pumpkin-head, sap, silly, simp, simple simon, simpleton, stupid, zany). (various references)

   

Thai

  

ทำเป็นตลก, ตัวตลก (butt, comedian, jester, joker, mime), หลอกลวง (betray, cheat, dupe, euchre, fake out, fiddle, fox, fudge, gull, hoax, humbug, mountebank), คนโง่ (apeth, berk, birdbrain, bozo, chucklehead, chump, clod, clodpole, div, doughnut, dove, dummy, dunce, featherbrain, half-wit, ignoramus, loon, muddlehead, mug, muggins, muppet, mut, nerd, nincompoop, nit, noddy, oaf, schlepp, silly, simp, simple, simpleton, thicko). (various references)

   

Turkish

  

gülünç duruma sokmak, akılsız (buggy, bughouse, emptyheaded, fatuous, feather brain, feather-brained, foolish, goofy, gormless, ill-advised, inexpedient, irrational, mindless, preposterous, unintelligent, unreasoning, unwise, vacant, witless), aptal (bird brained, birdbrain, booby, cretin, cuckoo, daft, Dotty, drag, dumb, dumb bell, dummy, dunce, fathead, fat-head, fat-headed, fatuous, feeble minded, foolish, gaga, goofy, gormless, half wit, half-witted, harebrained, idiot, idiotic, inane, innocent, lummox, oafish, silly, simp, softhead, softy, stupid, thickheaded, tomfool, twerp, twit), avanak (clot, cluck, gullible, nincompoop, ninny, rube, sap, simpleton), şaka yapmak (banter, crack jokes, have a lark, jest, joke, kid, lark, lark about, lark around, pull smb.'s leg), budala (barren, chucklehead, chumpish, clod, clownish, doltish, dreary, dullish, jackass, juggins, noddy, noodle, prune, sappy, simple simon, soft, twit, zany), eğlenmek (amuse oneself, be amused, disport oneself, frolic, get a ball out of smth., go on a spree, have a good time, have fun, laugh away, make fun, make merry, make merry over, recreate oneself, revel, rollick, sport), ahmak (addled, ass, blockhead, boob, bumpkin, cabbagehead, chucklehead, chumpish, clot, country bumpkin, crass, cretin, deadly dull, dimwitted, dolt, doltish, dreary, dullish, dumb bell, dunderhead, dunderheaded, fathead, foolish, gander, gawk, gawky, goat, goof, goose, greenhorn, Gubbins, half wit, half-witted, hayseed, idiot, jackass, jerk, josser, kookaburra, light in the head, loon, lummox, lump, muggins, mutt, mutton head, noddy, numskull, prune, pudding-head, sap, saphead, sappy, schlepper, simp, soft, stupid, twerp), enayi yerine koymak (play smb. for a sucker), vakit geçirmek (play around, Potter, potter at), kandırmak (argue, bait, bamboozle, befool, beguile, cheat, con, cozen, deceive, delude, diddle, dish, dissuade, dupe, entice, fast-talk, finagle, flimflam, gammon, get round, gyp, hornswoggle, induce, intrigue, inveigle, jockey, jolly, kid, lead on, lie, persuade, play with, put across, put over, rope in, sell smb. a pup, serve a trick, spoof, stall off, stick, string, string along, stuff smb., take in, trick, wheedle), maskara (antic, buffoon, butt, jester, laughing stock, laughingstock, mascara, masquerader, mummer, wanton, zany), maskaraya çevirmek, meyve ve süt tatlısı, oyalanmak (amuse oneself, be amused, be pleased with, dally, delay, dilly dally, disport oneself, fool about, fool around, footle, fribble, frivol, hang out, linger, loiter, mess around, monkey around, piddle, play around, Potter, potter about, potter at, procrastinate, stay, Tarry, trifle, trifle with, waste time), salak (country bumpkin, crazy, cretin, dimwitted, dolt, doltish, dope, dopey, gullible, idiot, jerky, ninny, obtuse, silly, stupid, sucker), soytarı (buffoon, clown, harlequin, jester, Judy, merry andrew, zany), enayi (chump, dupe, fall guy, foolish, goat, gudgeon, gull, mug, muggins, pigeon, schlemiel, schlemihl, schlepper, set up, sucker). (various references)

   

Turkmen 

  

samsyk (stupid), paсkelle. (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

нерозсудливий (bullheaded, fond, imprudent, inconsiderate, indiscreet, injudicious, precipitate, reckless, unadvised, unreasonable, unwise), балуватися, посміховисько, дурний (anserine, asinine, balmy, bat-minded, bovine, cloddish, cracked, daft, dense, fatuous, featherbrained, foolish, gawky, goofy, harebrained, idle-headed, mindless, mutton-headed, nonsensical, oafish, obtuse, opaque, owlish, pigheaded, sappy, sottish, spoony, stockish, stupid, thoughtless), дурень (ass, blunderhead, bone head, booby, bullhead, changeling, chump, clod, clot, dimwit, dolt, donkey, fop, gander, imbecile, jackass, moke, mutton head, ninny, nitwit, noddy, noodle, numskull, omadhaun, owl, pinhead, pudding-head, softy, stupe, stupid, tomfool, you imbecile), дурити (bamboozle, beat, cheat, play off). (various references)

   

Vietnamese 

  

người xuẩn ngốc người l m trò hề, người ngu xuẩn (loggerhead, ninny), người khờ dại (babe, blunderhead, boob, gaby, goosey, greenhorn, half-wit, imbecile, juggins, nincompoop, rattle-brain, scapegrace, sheep's-head, silly, spooney, spoony), l m trò ngố, không phải l ngu dại. (various references)

   

Welsh

  

ffwlcyn (nincompoop, ninny), ffw+l, ffoli (dote, infatuate), ynfytyn, cuall (blockhead, foolish, quick, rash), coegwr, coegddyn (coxcomb, fop). (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from