fool

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. See folly. — v. dupe, mislead; idle away; tamper. See deception, change, inactivity.

- fool around

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [A silly or stupid person]

Syn. nitwit, simpleton, dunce, ninny, cretin, nincompoop, dolt, idiot, jackass, ass, buffoon, blockhead, numskull, oaf, booby, boob, clod, dunderhead, goose, ignoramus, imbecile, moron, clown, tomfool, wiseacre, donkey, looby, noddy, noodle, innocent, loon, dullard, fathead, halfwit, mooncalf, lightweight, dotard, babbler, driveler, Simple Simon, silly, scatterbrain, bonehead*, simp*, dope*, nerd*, turkey*, dumbdumb*, meathead*, sap*, birdbrain*, lamebrain*, noodlehead*, *airhead*, bubblehead*, ditz*, dumb ox*, lunkhead*, knucklehead*, dimwit*, dumbbell*, jerk*, chump*, twit*, dumb bunny*.

Ant. philosopher*, sage, scholar.

2. [One made to seem foolish]

Syn. butt, laughingstock, victim, clown, poor fish, schlemiel, dupe, gull, gudgeon, cully, stooge, fair game, goat*, pigeon*, sucker*, patsy*, fall guy*, pushover*, setup*, mark*, easy mark*, chump*.

• no or [m1]• nobody's fool,

Syn. shrewd, calcuLating, capable; see able 1 , 2 , intelligent 1 .

• play the fool,

Syn. be silly, show off, clown; see joke .

v.

Syn. trick, dupe, mislead; see deceive .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

idiot, blockhead, ignoramus, moron, imbecile, ninny, nincompoop, simpleton, nitwit, harebrain, clown, ass, buffoon, *dingaling, *lunkhead, dupe, dunce, sap, oaf. One who does not suspect himself.''—Jose Ortega y Gasset. The whetstone of the wits.''—Shakespeare.

II

v.

deceive, kid, trick, cheat, hoodwink, *pull the wool over one's eyes, mislead, dupe, *sucker, *scam, *take in, *bamboozle.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. One deficient in judgment and good sense: ass, idiot, imbecile, jackass, mooncalf, moron, nincompoop, ninny, nitwit, simple, simpleton, softhead, tomfool. Informal: dope, gander, goose. Slang: cretin, ding-dong, dip, goof, jerk, nerd, schmo, schmuck, turkey. See ABILITY. 2. A person who is easily deceived or victimized: butt3, dupe, gull, lamb, pushover, victim. Informal: sucker. Slang: fall guy, gudgeon, mark, monkey, patsy, pigeon, sap1. Chiefly British: mug. See WISE. II verb 1. To cause to accept what is false, especially by trickery or misrepresentation: beguile, betray, bluff, cozen, deceive, delude, double-cross, dupe, hoodwink, humbug, mislead, take in, trick. Informal: bamboozle, have. Slang: four-flush. Idioms: lead astray, play false, pull the wool over someone's eyes, put something over on, take for a ride. See HONEST. 2. To waste time by engaging in aimless activity: doodle, putter. Informal: fool around, mess around. See THRIVE. 3. To handle something idly, ignorantly, or destructively: fiddle, meddle, mess, tamper, tinker. Informal: monkey. See HELP, TOUCH. 4. To move one's fingers or hands in a nervous or aimless fashion: fiddle, fidget, monkey, play, putter, tinker, toy, trifle, twiddle. See TOUCH.