There’s no shortage of synonyms for the verb fool (or the noun for that matter), and each of them has a slightly different texture. To fool someone is to trick or deceive them. The verb developed from the noun, which, in its earliest uses referred to a silly person or someone who lacks judgement or sense. The suggestion of silliness carries over into the verb, which, as words of deception go, is relatively lighthearted. Dupe is more pointed, emphasizing deception or being cheated, a nuance that is visible in the noun dupe, which refers to a person who is easily deceived or, especially, taken advantage of.

A person’s surroundings are the things, circumstances, or conditions that make up their environment, especially the physical aspects: He awoke in strange surroundings; she tried to blend in with her surroundings. The noun milieu refers to intangible aspects of an environment, especially those of a social or cultural nature: The artist’s work reflected a very specific cultural milieu. Milieu, a loanword from French, is especially useful for highlighting the character or prevailing attitudes or influences of certain historical periods or of social sets. In this way it is different not only from surroundings, but also from ambiance, which emphasizes the mood or tone of an environment, and setting, which suggests a background that sets something off.

Something that is unwieldy is not readily handled or managed in use or action, as from size, shape, or weight. The verb wield, from which unwieldy and its more manageable counterpart wieldy stem, is used to talk about exercising power, influence, or authority, or about using something, such as a weapon or instrument, effectively. Cumbersome is a strong synonym for unwieldy. It is commonly used to talk about processes, systems, or procedures that are convoluted, tedious, and time-consuming. Cumbersome comes from the verb cumber “to overload; burden” or “to hinder; hamper.”