folly
gb/fˈɑli/ us/fˈɑli/
B2
English
~ 2700
ostobaság, kerti díszépítmény
NOUN
B2
1
ostobaság
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone's] folly
Investing all his savings in that risky scheme was sheer folly.
Kész ostobaság volt az összes megtakarítását abba a kockázatos vállalkozásba fektetnie.
It would be folly to ignore the safety warnings.
Ostobaság lenne figyelmen kívül hagyni a biztonsági figyelmeztetéseket.
The plan was dismissed as political folly by the opposition.
Her refusal to prepare for the exam proved to be a costly folly.
Learner examples
It is folly to drive fast in the rain.
Esőben ostobaság gyorsan hajtani.
Building a house on sand is folly.
Ostobaság homokra házat építeni.
He saw the folly of his choice after it failed.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'folly' with 'fool' — 'folly' refers to the act or idea, not the person.
Meaning
A foolish act or decision
Collocations
act of folly
|great folly
|the height of folly
|pure folly
Synonyms
stupidity (More blunt and potentially insulting; refers to lack of intelligence as well as judgment.)
|
recklessness (Focuses more on ignoring risks rather than general poor judgment.)
Antonyms
wisdom (Implies good judgment and decision-making, opposite of folly.)
|
prudence (Emphasizes careful and sensible choices, countering the idea of folly.)
Themes
judgment
|mistakes
|behavior
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A bad idea or action that shows poor judgment.
A thoughtless or unwise action, decision, or plan that often leads to bad results.
NOUN
C1
2
The estate features a stone folly overlooking the lake.
A birtokon egy, a tóra néző kőből épült kerti díszépítmény is található.
In the 18th century, wealthy landowners often built follies in their gardens.
A 18. században a tehetős földbirtokosok gyakran építtettek kerti díszépítményeket a kertjeikben.
The tower turned out to be a decorative folly with no interior rooms.
Learner examples
The park has a small stone folly.
A parkban van egy kis kőből épült kerti díszépítmény.
They built a folly to make the garden pretty.
Építettek egy kerti díszépítményt, hogy szebb legyen a kert.
The folly looks old but has no real use.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this meaning with the 'foolish act' sense; context about buildings is key.
Meaning
Ornamental building with no real use
Collocations
garden folly
|Victorian folly
|stone folly
Synonyms
ornamental structure (Technical term emphasizing decorative purpose.)
Antonyms
functional building (A structure built mainly for practical use.)
Themes
architecture
|design
|housing
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A building made to look nice but not used for anything important.
A decorative structure, often in a garden or park, built mainly for appearance rather than function.
Grammar
Dictionary form
folly
IPA
GB/fˈɑli/
US/fˈɑli/
Syllables & stress
folly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (folly)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: folly
- Plural: follies, folly
Word family
Forms
follies
noun
Core family
Expressions
act of folly
1/ˈækt əv fˈɑli/
fixed phrase
A foolish action or decision
Something done that is very unwise.
Examples
- His decision to skip the meeting was an act of folly.
- Driving without insurance is an act of folly.
the height of folly
1/ðə hˈaɪt əv fˈɑli/
fixed phrase
Extreme foolishness
The most foolish thing possible.
Examples
- It would be the height of folly to go hiking in this storm.
- Quitting your job without another offer is the height of folly.