foolishly
gb/fˈulɪʃli/ us/fˈulɪʃli/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
without good judgment
in a way that is not sensible
Usage pattern:
[someone] foolishly [does something] / foolishly + verb
Common mistake:
Don’t use it to mean ‘accidentally’; it means the action was a bad idea.
Synonyms
unwisely (more neutral and less insulting than 'foolishly'.)
|
stupidly (harsher and more direct criticism.)
|
naively (emphasizes lack of experience or realism.)
Antonyms
wisely (shows good judgment.)
|
sensibly (emphasizes practical good sense.)
Collocations
foolishly agreed
|foolishly decided
|foolishly spent
|foolishly assumed
|foolishly believed
|foolishly ignored
|foolishly risked
|foolishly trusted
|foolishly underestimated
|foolishly refused
Themes
daily_life
|decisions
|opinions
Examples
- I foolishly left my phone on the train.
- She foolishly invested all her savings in one company.
- They foolishly ignored the storm warning and went hiking anyway.
Learner examples
- I foolishly forgot my keys.
- He foolishly said yes without thinking.
adverb
B2
property
2
in a silly way
in a silly or playful way
Usage pattern:
laugh/smile/giggle foolishly
Common mistake:
This sense is about being silly, not necessarily making a bad decision.
Synonyms
sillily (more childlike and less critical.)
|
goofily (more informal; suggests clownish behavior.)
Antonyms
seriously (in a thoughtful or non-playful way.)
|
solemnly (with a very serious tone.)
Collocations
smiled foolishly
|laughed foolishly
|giggled foolishly
|grinned foolishly
|looked foolishly
|blushed foolishly
|beamed foolishly
|stared foolishly
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|daily_life
Examples
- He smiled foolishly when he saw her walking toward him.
- The kids giggled foolishly during the quiet part of the movie.
- I stood there foolishly, unsure what to say next.
Learner examples
- She laughed foolishly.
- He smiled foolishly at the joke.
adverb
C1
property
3
rashly, taking needless risks
in a risky way that is not smart
Usage pattern:
foolishly + risk/venture/drive
Common mistake:
Often overlaps with 'unwisely'; this sense focuses on risk and carelessness.
Synonyms
rashly (emphasizes acting too quickly without thinking.)
|
carelessly (emphasizes lack of care or attention.)
Antonyms
cautiously (shows care to avoid danger.)
|
prudently (shows careful judgment, especially about risk.)
Collocations
foolishly risked
|foolishly ventured
|foolishly drove
|foolishly challenged
|foolishly gambled
|foolishly attempted
Themes
risk
|health
|safety
Examples
- He foolishly drove home in heavy fog without turning on his lights.
- They foolishly ventured onto the ice before it was safe.
- I foolishly risked my job by missing the deadline again.
Learner examples
- He foolishly risked his safety.
Grammar
Dictionary form
foolishly
IPA
GB/fˈulɪʃli/
US/fˈulɪʃli/
Syllables & stress
fool - ishly (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (fool)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: foolishly
- Plural: foolishlies
Word family
Expressions
foolishly enough
1/fˈulɪʃli ɪnˈʌf/
fixed phrase
admitting a bad decision
used to say you did something that was a bad idea
Examples
- Foolishly enough, I thought the problem would fix itself.
- Foolishly enough, we didn’t back up the files before updating the system.
- Foolishly enough, he trusted the rumor without checking the facts.