fool
fool — verb
1. to make someone believe something that is not true, usually for amusement or to
to make someone believe something that is not true, usually for amusement or to gain an advantage over them
Ife completely fooled her little brother by hiding the TV remote control behind the sofa.
The car dealer tried to fool Sayaka into signing a contract with hidden fees.
fool + noun + into + verb-ing for persuasion by deception
Arjun felt embarrassed when he realised his classmates had fooled him with a made-up story.
You cannot fool an experienced chef with cheap supermarket ingredients disguised as homemade food.
The online advertisement fooled hundreds of customers into paying for a product that never arrived.
- enlighten
to give someone true information instead of false
文法句型
fool + noun phrase
fool + noun phrase + into + verb-ing
用法筆記
The action the deceived person is tricked into doing is introduced by 'into + verb-ing', not by a to-infinitive.
常見錯誤
2. to express doubt about the truth of what someone has just claimed, or to let som
to express doubt about the truth of what someone has just claimed, or to let someone know you were only joking and not speaking seriously
When Tuan claimed he was done, Élise laughed and said, "You could have fooled me!"
fixed expression 'could have fooled + object' for disbelief
"I am not fooling — I saw a bear by the school gate!" Hugo told his teacher.
Yara told her friend, "Rent doubled. Just fooling — only teasing!"
Christopher said, "You could have fooled me — this room is clean!"
Gabriel winked at his grandmother and said he was only fooling about the vase.
文法句型
could have fooled + object
was / were fooling
用法筆記
In the disbelief use, the past conditional construction 'could have fooled me' is fixed — changing the tense to 'can fool me' changes the meaning to a plain statement about ability. In the joking use, the continuous form 'was/were fooling' is standard.
常見錯誤
fool — noun
1. someone who does unwise or thoughtless things, often because they fail to think
someone who does unwise or thoughtless things, often because they fail to think ahead or consider the likely results of their actions
Antonia felt like a complete fool after leaving her keys inside the locked car.
collocation: complete fool / total fool / old fool
Only a fool would walk alone through that part of the city after midnight.
"Don't be such a fool — that ladder is not safe," warned Yasmin.
Ryo felt like a fool when he realised he had been calling the wrong office all week.
文法句型
fool (noun) — countable, often with adjectives like 'complete', 'total', 'old'
用法筆記
Often modified with adjectives like complete, total, or old (informal) to express the speaker's view of how unwise the person was.
常見錯誤
2. to cause someone to appear ridiculous or naive by deliberately deceiving them or
to cause someone to appear ridiculous or naive by deliberately deceiving them or setting them up to look bad
The street vendors tried to make a fool of Kabir by charging him ten times the normal price.
pattern: make a fool of + person by + verb-ing
Nila realised her so-called friend had made a fool of her in front of the whole office.
Asher's classmates made a fool of him by telling him the wrong date for the exam.
The detective made a fool of the thief by planting a fake diamond in the safe.
文法句型
make a fool of + object (someone)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice: 'I was made a fool of.' The object is always a person or group of people.
常見錯誤
3. to behave in such an embarrassing or unwise way that other people lose respect f
to behave in such an embarrassing or unwise way that other people lose respect for you or see you as silly
Christopher made a fool of himself by trying to sing along in a language he did not speak.
pattern: make a fool of + reflexive pronoun
Tariro made a fool of herself by falling asleep during the quarterly review meeting.
I made a complete fool of myself trying to impress the guests with my terrible cooking.
The politician made a fool of herself when she could not answer the simplest question from the reporter.
- embarrass yourself
more direct and slightly less dramatic than 'make a fool of yourself'
- humiliate yourself
stronger; suggests deeper shame
文法句型
make a fool of yourself / oneself
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2 (TRICK SOMEONE), this sense describes the subject's own actions, not someone else's deception. The reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, etc.) is required.
常見錯誤
4. said about tasks or situations that are so quick or simple that absolutely anyon
said about tasks or situations that are so quick or simple that absolutely anyone could complete or grasp them
Any fool can follow this recipe — it only has three ingredients and one step.
pattern: any fool can + verb (expressing simplicity)
The instructions were so clear that any fool could assemble the bookshelf in under ten minutes.
Any fool can see that the plan is not going to work without more funding.
Any fool knows that you should measure twice before cutting the wood.
- anyone
neutral; 'any fool' adds a dismissive or impatient tone
文法句型
any fool can + verb
any fool could + verb
用法筆記
Always appears in the fixed phrase 'any fool' followed by a verb. It does not refer to a real person — it emphasises that no special skill is needed.
5. someone who is too smart or experienced to be tricked or taken advantage of
someone who is too smart or experienced to be tricked or taken advantage of
Nila is nobody's fool — she checked every line of the contract before signing it.
fixed phrase: nobody's fool
After thirty years in the business, Felipe is nobody's fool when it comes to spotting a dishonest deal.
Sirin may look young, but she is nobody's fool and will ask tough questions.
The students quickly learned that the new teacher was nobody's fool and could spot a copied essay at once.
- shrewd
adjective meaning having good judgment; sounds more formal
- streetwise
knowing how to deal with difficult or dangerous situations, especially in cities
- naive
too willing to believe that people are honest
文法句型
be nobody's fool — used as a predicate
用法筆記
This expression is always phrased as 'nobody's fool' — never 'no one's fool' or 'not a fool'. It highlights the person's shrewdness rather than their intelligence in general.
常見錯誤
6. used when someone has done something unwise and you believe they should have kno
used when someone has done something unwise and you believe they should have known better, especially when their decision causes trouble for them
Aaron quit his job without having another one lined up, and more fool him — now he cannot pay the rent.
fixed expression: more fool + pronoun
"Sirin put all her savings into that failed business." "More fool her — everyone warned her it was risky."
conversational use: more fool her
Yara told me the tickets were a waste of money, and more fool me for not listening to her advice.
The neighbours refused the insurance offer before the storm, and more fool them when their roof was damaged.
- serves you right
different structure; expresses that the bad result was deserved
文法句型
more fool + pronoun (you/him/her/them/me)
用法筆記
Chiefly British. The expression can be directed at someone else ('more fool him/her/them') or used about yourself ('more fool me'). It always carries a tone of 'you/he/she should have known better.'
常見錯誤
7. A historical entertainer who worked in a royal court, using comedy, music, and p
A historical entertainer who worked in a royal court, using comedy, music, and physical humour to amuse the ruler and the guests.
The king's fool entertained the court by telling jokes and dancing in a bright costume.
collocation: king's fool / court fool
Sirin read about a medieval fool who saved the queen's life with a clever joke.
In Shakespeare's plays, the fool often speaks more wisely than the kings he serves.
Medieval fools wore colourful hats with bells so everyone could see them across the hall.
文法句型
the + fool
king's / queen's fool
用法筆記
This sense is historical — it refers to a specific job in royal courts before the 1700s. In modern English, 'fool' for this role has been mostly replaced by 'jester' or 'court jester.'
8. The role or behaviour of deliberately acting silly or exaggerated so that other
The role or behaviour of deliberately acting silly or exaggerated so that other people find it funny.
A boy played the fool at the party, wearing a wig and making silly faces.
collocation: play the fool
Linh made a fool of herself pretending to fall as her friends rolled their eyes.
collocation: make a fool of yourself
Stop playing the fool, Christopher — the teacher is waiting for a serious answer.
At every family gathering, Uncle Joshua plays the fool to keep the young children entertained.
文法句型
play the fool
make a fool of yourself
act the fool
用法筆記
This sense of 'fool' almost never appears alone as a simple noun. It is always used inside fixed phrases such as 'play the fool,' 'act the fool,' or 'make a fool of yourself/me/him/her.'
常見錯誤
9. A cold dessert where cooked fruit is crushed smooth and then combined with sweet
A cold dessert where cooked fruit is crushed smooth and then combined with sweetened cream sauce or thick egg custard.
The restaurant served a delicious gooseberry fool with fresh cream and a sprig of mint.
collocation: gooseberry fool / raspberry fool
Élise made a quick strawberry fool by mixing crushed berries with whipped cream and sugar.
For dessert, Grandmother prepared her famous rhubarb fool, which everyone ate in seconds.
A proper fruit fool should be chilled in the fridge for two hours before serving.
文法句型
[fruit] + fool
a + [fruit] + fool
用法筆記
This sense is primarily British. The dessert names typically begin with the fruit used, e.g. 'gooseberry fool,' 'rhubarb fool,' 'raspberry fool.' Outside the UK, this dessert is less well-known and may need explanation.
fool — adjective
1. describes a person, action, or idea that shows poor judgment or a lack of sensib
describes a person, action, or idea that shows poor judgment or a lack of sensible thinking, often in a way that makes other people annoyed or embarrassed
That was a fool thing to say to Aunt Rosa at her birthday dinner.
attributive use: a fool thing + to-infinitive
Bao put all his savings into a fool investment plan that quickly failed.
collocation: fool + plan / idea / scheme
The tour guide told the group there is no such thing as a fool question.
Gabriela warned her brother that his fool idea about leaving school would only cause more problems.
One fool mistake by the driver caused a traffic jam that lasted for hours.
文法句型
fool + noun
用法筆記
Attributive only — this adjective must be placed directly before the noun it modifies. You cannot say 'He is fool'; instead use 'He is a fool' (noun) or 'He is foolish' (adjective).