English Explanatory Dictionary

foolhardy

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Marked by unthinking recklessness with disregard for danger; boldly rash; hotheaded.
noun
  1. A person who is foolhardy.

Pronunciation

/ˈfuːlhɑːdi/ /ˈfulˌhɑɹdi/ en-us-foolhardy.ogg en-au-foolhardy.ogg

Word forms

foolhardy foolhardier more foolhardy foolhardiest most foolhardy fool-hardy foolhardies

Etymology

From Middle English folehardy, foolhardi, folherdi, from Old French fol hardi (“foolishly bold”), from Old French fol (“foolish, silly; insane, mad”) (from Latin follis (“bellows; purse, sack; inflated ball; belly, paunch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- (“to swell”)) + Old French hardi (“durable, hardy, tough”) (past tense of hardir (“to harden”), from the unattested Frankish *hartjan, from Proto-Germanic *harduz (“hard; brave”)), equivalent to fool + hardy. Compare fool-bold, fool-large, etc.

Synonyms

bold daring foolish irresponsible rash reckless

Derived words

foolhardice foolhardihood foolhardily foolhardiness
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