# folly

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfɑli/ · frequency rank #18,561

## Definitions
1. Foolishness that results from a lack of foresight or lack of practicality.
2. Thoughtless action resulting in tragic consequence.
3. A fanciful building built for purely ornamental reasons.

## Etymology
Derived from Old French folie (“madness”), from the adjective fol (“mad, insane”).

## Easily confused with
- **foy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-foy)
- **full** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-full)
- **fool** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-fool)
- **foul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-foul)
- **fowl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-fowl)
- **foxy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-foxy)
- **fully** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-fully)
- **forty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-forty)
- **fools** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-fools)
- **footy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-footy)
- **fouls** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-fouls)
- **foray** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-foray)
- **Foyle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-foyle)
- **fondly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folly-vs-fondly)
- **fly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fly-vs-folly)
- **fall** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fall-vs-folly)
- **fell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fell-vs-folly)
- **fill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fill-vs-folly)
- **folk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folk-vs-folly)
- **FOIL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foil-vs-folly)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ffolly`, `floly`, `follyy`, `foly`, `folyl`, `oflly`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/folly