What does "folly" mean?
Folly: A foolish act; an inconsiderate or thoughtless procedure; weak or light-minded conduct; foolery. What folly 'tis to hazard life for ill. Shak.
Additional senses
- 2.Scandalous crime; sin; specifically, as applied to a woman, wantonness. [Achan] wrought folly in Israel. Josh. vii.
- 3.When lovely woman stoops to folly. Goldsmith.
- 4.The result of a foolish action or enterprise. It is called this man's or that man's "folly," and name of the foolish builder is thus kept alive for long after years. Trench.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00