Meaning & use
tomfoolery
Last updated
UK/təmˈfuː.lər.i/
US/təmˈfuː.lɚ.i/
Meaning
noununcountable
Playful, silly, or foolish behavior that is usually harmless but may be disruptive.
Grammar: No plural; often used in phrases like enough tomfoolery.
Patterns
- enough tomfoolery
- engage in tomfoolery
- put an end to the tomfoolery
After ten minutes of tomfoolery, the teacher asked everyone to open their books.
There was the usual Friday tomfoolery in the office kitchen.
The film mixes gentle romance with harmless tomfoolery.
Common combinations
- enough tomfoolery
- Enough tomfoolery; we need to finish this report.
- harmless tomfoolery
- The campers' harmless tomfoolery kept everyone awake past midnight.
- a bit of tomfoolery
- A bit of tomfoolery is fine, but not during the exam.
Synonyms and how they differ
- silliness
- Silliness is the broad everyday word; tomfoolery sounds more playful and old-fashioned.
- horseplay
- Horseplay emphasizes rough physical play, while tomfoolery can be verbal or general foolishness.
- mischief
- Mischief can suggest naughty rule-breaking; tomfoolery is usually lighter and less serious.
Opposites
Word family
- tomfool noun
- An old-fashioned word for a silly or foolish person.
Practice
Which sentence uses tomfoolery correctly?
Choose one answer.
The first sentence playfully scolds silly behavior. Tomfoolery is not evidence, an award-winning quality, or weather.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tomfoolery”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.