fool
gb/fˈul/ us/fˈul/
B1
Inglés
~ 7600
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
informal
B1
entity
1
a silly or stupid person
A person who does not think carefully and does silly or stupid things.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] is a fool
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse "fool" (a noun for a silly or stupid person) with "full" (meaning not empty). Pronunciation and spelling are different. Also, calling someone a "fool" can sound rude or insulting, so it should be used carefully.
Sinónimos
idiot (Stronger and more insulting; often suggests very low intelligence, not just silly behavior.)
Antónimos
wise person (Describes someone who shows good judgment and common sense, the opposite of a fool.)
Colocaciones
act like a fool
|feel like a fool
|be a complete fool
|make a fool of [yourself]
|play the fool
Temas
people
|character
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
|daily_life
Ejemplos
- I felt like such a fool when I realized I’d been talking to the wrong person the whole time.
- Don’t be a fool and drive home after drinking.
- Only a fool would invest all their money in one risky stock.
- He acted like a fool at the meeting and embarrassed the whole team.
- She’s no fool; she knew exactly what they were trying to do.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- I was a fool to trust him.
- He looked like a fool in that big hat.
- Don’t be a fool; lock your door at night.
- She felt like a fool after she made that mistake.
- Only a fool would leave a baby alone in a car.
Verbo
B2
action
2
to trick or deceive someone
To make someone believe something that is not true, usually as a trick.
Patrón de uso:
to fool [someone] (into [doing something])
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *"fool to someone"* instead of "fool someone." The verb is directly transitive: "He fooled me," not *"He fooled to me."* To show the result, use "fool someone into doing something": "They fooled him into paying twice."
Sinónimos
trick (Very close in meaning; often a bit more informal and can suggest a playful or clever action.)
Antónimos
inform (To give someone true and accurate information, instead of deceiving them.)
Colocaciones
fool someone
|fool the public
|fool [someone] into thinking
|easily fooled
|can’t fool me
Temas
communication
|social
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- You can’t fool me with that fake story.
- The company’s advertising fooled many customers into paying more.
- He tried to fool his parents by pretending he was at the library.
- They were fooled by the realistic-looking fake painting.
- She almost fooled him into signing the contract without reading it.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Don’t try to fool me; I know the truth.
- The magician fooled the children with his card trick.
- He fooled his friend into opening the door.
- She fooled many people with her smile.
- I was fooled by the low price and bought it.
Verbo
B2
action
3
to deceive yourself
To lie to yourself or believe something that is not true because you want it to be true.
Patrón de uso:
to fool [oneself] (into [doing/thinking something])
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say *"fool to yourself"* instead of "fool yourself." Use a reflexive pronoun directly as the object: "Don’t fool yourself," not *"Don’t fool to yourself."*
Sinónimos
kid yourself (Very close in meaning but more informal and conversational.)
Antónimos
face reality (To accept the true situation instead of believing something false or comfortable.)
Colocaciones
fool yourself
|fool yourself into thinking
|only fooling yourself
|Don’t fool yourself
Temas
emotions
|thinking
|self
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Don’t fool yourself into thinking this will be easy.
- If you say you don’t care, you’re only fooling yourself.
- He fooled himself into believing that she would come back.
- She tried to fool herself that everything was fine at work.
- We shouldn’t fool ourselves about how serious the problem is.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Don’t fool yourself; he is not your friend.
- She fooled herself into thinking she could do it alone.
- I was fooling myself when I thought the exam would be simple.
- He is only fooling himself if he thinks money will solve everything.
- We must not fool ourselves about the risk.
Verbo
informal
B2
action
4
to behave in a silly way
To act in a silly or playful way and not do serious work.
Patrón de uso:
to fool around/about
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use "fool" alone ("They were fooling") when native speakers usually say "fool around" or "fool about" for this meaning. Use the phrasal verb form to sound natural.
Sinónimos
goof off (Informal American English; clearly suggests avoiding work or responsibility.)
Antónimos
focus (To give serious attention to something instead of acting in a silly way.)
Colocaciones
fool around in class
|fool around at work
|stop fooling around
|fool about all day
Temas
daily life
|work
|leisure
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Stop fooling around and finish your homework.
- The kids were fooling around in the back of the classroom.
- He wasted the whole afternoon just fooling about with his friends.
- We spent the evening fooling around with the camera and taking silly photos.
- They were fooling around instead of preparing for the presentation.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The students were fooling around and not listening.
- Don’t fool around at work; your boss is watching.
- We just fooled around in the park all day.
- He likes to fool about when he is bored.
- She told her son to stop fooling around at the table.
Sustantivo
C1
entity
5
a fruit-and-cream dessert
A sweet cold dish made from soft fruit mixed with cream or custard.
Patrón de uso:
a [fruit] fool
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse this food meaning with the insult meaning. In recipes or menus, "fool" after a type of fruit ("raspberry fool") is a dessert, not a person.
Sinónimos
fruit mousse (A similar light fruit-and-cream dessert, but not exactly the same recipe.)
Antónimos
savory dish (A general opposite in cooking: food that is salty or spicy rather than sweet dessert.)
Colocaciones
gooseberry fool
|strawberry fool
|summer fruit fool
|serve a fruit fool
Temas
food
|cooking
|food_drink
Ejemplos
- We had gooseberry fool for dessert.
- This strawberry fool is light and not too sweet.
- She made a simple summer fruit fool with berries and cream.
- The menu offered lemon tart and raspberry fool for dessert.
- A traditional English fool is very easy to prepare.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- We ate apple fool after dinner.
- She made a strawberry fool for her guests.
- They served a cold fruit fool on a hot day.
- He likes to cook gooseberry fool in the summer.
- A fool is a sweet dessert with fruit and cream.
Sustantivo
literary
C1
entity
6
a court jester
A person in old times who worked in a king’s or queen’s house, wearing funny clothes and making people laugh.
Patrón de uso:
the king’s fool
Error frecuente:
Learners may think this is the main modern meaning of "fool," but today it is mostly used in historical or literary contexts. In everyday speech, "fool" usually means a silly or stupid person, not a professional entertainer.
Sinónimos
jester (Standard word for this historical role; often used in historical or literary contexts.)
Antónimos
serious person (Someone who does not act to entertain others and does not behave in a silly way.)
Colocaciones
court fool
|king’s fool
|royal fool
|play the fool at court
Temas
history
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The king’s fool was the only one who could speak plainly to him.
- Dressed like a court fool, he entertained the guests at the medieval fair.
- In Shakespeare’s plays, the fool often tells the truth through jokes.
- The royal fool jingled as he walked, thanks to the bells on his hat.
- She played the fool in the performance, dancing and making faces for the crowd.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The king’s fool made the royal family laugh.
- In the story, the fool is wise and honest.
- A court fool wears bright and funny clothes.
- The old painting shows a fool standing by the king.
- The fool tells jokes in the castle.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
fool
AFI
GB/fˈul/
US/fˈul/
Sílabas y acento
fool (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (fool)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: fool
- Plural: fool, fools
Verb
- Base: fool
- 3rd Person Singular: fools
- Present Participle: fooling
- Past: fooled
Familia de palabras
Expresiones
a fool's paradise
1/ə fˈulz pˈɛɹədˌaɪs/
idiom
literary
happiness based on false hope
A happy situation that is not real or will not last because it is based on false ideas.
Ejemplos
- People who ignore climate change are living in a fool’s paradise.
- He was in a fool’s paradise, believing his debts would somehow disappear.
April Fools' Day
1/ˈeɪpɹəl fˈulz dˈeɪ/
fixed phrase
April 1st joke-playing day
The first day of April (April 1st), when people often play tricks and jokes on others.
Ejemplos
- They announced a fake engagement on April Fools’ Day.
- Be careful what you believe on April Fools’ Day.
be a fool for [something/someone]
1/bˈi ə fˈul fɚ səmˈɛθɪŋsˈoʊmˈoʊn/
idiom
informal
be very weak for something
To like something or someone very much, so that you cannot resist it or them.
Ejemplos
- I’m a fool for chocolate; I can’t say no.
- She’s always been a fool for musicians.
be no fool
1/bˈi nˈoʊ fˈul/
idiom
informal
be smart and not easily tricked
To be clever or experienced and not easy to trick or cheat.
Ejemplos
- She’s no fool; she read the contract very carefully.
- He may seem quiet, but he’s no fool.
be nobody's fool
1/bˈi nˈoʊbˌɑdiz fˈul/
idiom
informal
not allow others to use or cheat you
To be strong and independent and not let other people cheat you or use you.
Ejemplos
- She’s nobody’s fool and won’t sign anything without reading it.
- He’s tough, smart, and nobody’s fool.
fool about
1/fˈul əbˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
behave in a silly way (BrE)
To act in a silly or playful way and not do serious work, used mainly in British English.
Ejemplos
- They were fooling about in the office when the boss walked in.
- Stop fooling about and get dressed; we’re late.
fool around with [someone]
1/fˈul ɚˈaʊnd wˈɪθ sˈʌmwˌʌn/
phrasal verb
informal
have a casual sexual relationship
To have a sexual relationship with someone that is not serious, often secret or outside a main relationship.
Ejemplos
- She found out he’d been fooling around with a coworker.
- He admitted he had fooled around with someone else while they were dating.
fool around with [something]
1/fˈul ɚˈaʊnd wˈɪθ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
phrasal verb
informal
handle or experiment casually with something
To touch or use something in a casual way, often just to see how it works or for fun, not for a serious reason.
Ejemplos
- He likes to fool around with old radios and fix them.
- They spent the evening fooling around with a new music app.
fool someone into [doing something]
1/fˈul sˈʌmwˌʌn ˈɪntu dˈuɪŋ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
trick someone into doing something
To trick someone so that they do something they would not normally do.
Ejemplos
- The email tried to fool people into giving their bank details.
- She fooled him into signing the form without reading it.
fool with
1/fˈul wˈɪθ/
phrasal verb
informal
handle or change something carelessly
To touch or use something in a careless way that could cause problems or be dangerous.
Ejemplos
- Don’t fool with that knife; it’s very sharp.
- He likes to fool with the settings on his computer and break things.
fool's gold
1/fˈulz ɡˈoʊld/
fixed phrase
yellow mineral that looks like gold
A shiny yellow mineral that looks like real gold but is not valuable; also, something that seems good but is not really good.
Ejemplos
- Prospectors sometimes mistook pyrite for fool’s gold.
- For many investors, the promise of easy money turned out to be fool’s gold.
fools rush in
1/fˈulz ɹˈʌʃ ˈɪn/
idiom
literary
foolish people act without thinking
Used to say that silly or inexperienced people act too fast without thinking about the risks.
Ejemplos
- He proposed after only two weeks—fools rush in, as they say.
- Invest now if you want, but remember: fools rush in.
like a fool
1/lˈaɪk ə fˈul/
fixed phrase
informal
in a silly or stupid way
In a way that makes you look silly or not sensible.
Ejemplos
- I waited for him for two hours like a fool.
- She believed every word he said, like a fool.
make a fool of yourself
1/mˈeɪk ə fˈul əv jʊɹsˈɛlf/
idiom
informal
act so you seem stupid
To do something that makes you look silly or stupid in front of other people.
Ejemplos
- Don’t drink too much at the party or you’ll make a fool of yourself.
- He made a fool of himself by shouting at the wrong person.
fool around
1/fˈul ɚˈaʊnd/
phrasal verb
informal
behave in a playful, unserious way
To act in a silly or playful way and not do serious work or tasks.
Ejemplos
- The kids were fooling around instead of studying.
- Stop fooling around and help me clean the kitchen.
- They fooled around for a few months before breaking up.
- They spent the afternoon fooling around in the park instead of studying.
play the fool
1/plˈeɪ ðə fˈul/
idiom
Behave in a silly way for fun
To act silly so people laugh or are entertained.
Ejemplos
- Stop playing the fool and help me clean up.
- He often plays the fool to make his friends laugh.
- He enjoys playing the fool at parties to make people laugh.
- She played the fool in meetings so people would underestimate her.