noun

tomfoolery

tom-FOO-luh-ree

Tomfoolery (noun) means silly or foolish behaviour; playful nonsense. Example: “The teacher had no patience for tomfoolery during the exam.”

noun

Silly or foolish behaviour; playful nonsense.

"The teacher had no patience for tomfoolery during the exam."

"Enough tomfoolery — we need to get this finished."

How to Use Tomfoolery

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSilly messing about, usually harmless.

Common pairings

no more tomfoolery a bit of tomfoolery

tomfooleries plural

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Can you complete this real example?

The teacher had no patience for _____ during the exam.

From "Tom" (used generically for an ordinary man) plus "foolery."

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What does “tomfoolery” mean?

The word “tomfoolery” means silly or foolish behaviour; playful nonsense. In plain terms, silly messing about, usually harmless.

How do you pronounce “tomfoolery”?

“Tomfoolery” is pronounced tom-FOO-luh-ree (/ˈtɑmˌful.ɚ.i/ in IPA).

How do you use “tomfoolery” in a sentence?

Here is “tomfoolery” used in a sentence: “The teacher had no patience for tomfoolery during the exam.”

What part of speech is “tomfoolery”?

“Tomfoolery” is a noun.