tomfoolery

[tom-foo-luh-ree] / ˌtɒmˈfu lə ri /

NOUN

nonsense

Synonyms

STRONG

absurdity antics bunk clowning craziness folly foolery foolishness fun giddiness horseplay insanity irresponsibility lunacy madness ridiculousness senselessness shenanigans silliness

WEAK

carrying-on fooling around funny business high jinks joking kidding around ludicrousness

Antonyms

STRONG

sense seriousness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Lacking immediate options, Bea succumbs to Christy’s latest tomfoolery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026

He told the court this was a case of "skylarking and tomfoolery" that had "gone awry".

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2023

That was a trick, right there — a bit of rhetorical tomfoolery to make you think the impassioned public testimony and the Oxford comma were connected.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 31, 2023

“Vanderpump Rules” — or just “Pump Rules,” if you’re cool — launched its 10th season on Bravo in early February, promising on its website “a new era of tomfoolery, drama, and betrayal.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2023

Seemed like a bunch of tomfoolery to me.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

Vocabulary lists containing tomfoolery

Pygmalion

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Fast Pitch

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Slay

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