SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
foolhardy
adjective
Recklessly bold despite obvious danger or difficulty.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Recklessly bold
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topFoolhardy criticizes boldness that ignores a recognizable risk; bold itself can be approving.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See foolhardy in use
It would be foolhardy to begin the long hike without a map.
Sal's friend Vic was overconfident about spotting valuable prints after watching a single introductory demonstration. He became gullible when a stranger's unsupported story about a supposedly rare edition persuaded him without any attempt to check it. His proposal to carry a large framed purchase down a visibly unstable staircase was foolhardy despite the available safer route.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license