fool's paradise

Meaning

1. 1nounsingularfigurativedisapproving

   A state of happiness or false security that rests on a wrong belief or ignores real problems.

   Grammar: Usually with in: living in a fool's paradise.

   Patterns

   • live in a fool's paradise
   • be in a fool's paradise

   If you think the project will finish on time, you are living in a fool's paradise.

   They stayed in a fool's paradise until the bank called.

   He lived in a fool's paradise, sure that his luck would never end.

Common combinations

live in a fool's paradise

Don't live in a fool's paradise about your savings.

be in a fool's paradise

She was in a fool's paradise about the exam.

wake up from a fool's paradise

He woke up from his fool's paradise when the bill arrived.

a dangerous fool's paradise

A dangerous fool's paradise surrounded the managers.

Synonyms and how they differ

fantasy

is broader and can be harmless dreaming, while fool's paradise implies mistaken confidence.

false security

is a neutral phrase and does not suggest foolishness.

pipe dream

names an unrealistic hope, while fool's paradise names the happy state of someone fooled.

fool's gold

names something that looks valuable but is not, a different image.

Opposites

Word family

fool noun

someone who lacks good judgment

foolish adjective

unwise

paradise noun

a place of perfect happiness

foolishly adverb

in an unwise way

Commonly confused: fool's paradise or fool's gold?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “fool's paradise”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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