folly

/ˈfɑli/
noun
  1. A lack of good sense or judgment; foolishness.
    • It would be folly to go hiking in a thunderstorm.
    • She later regretted her youthful folly of dropping out of school.
    • The company's financial folly led to its bankruptcy.
  2. A costly and foolish undertaking or mistake.
    • Building that huge mansion in the swamp was a costly folly.
    • Investing all his savings in that risky scheme turned out to be a complete folly.
    • The war was seen by many as a national folly.
  3. A decorative building or structure built in a garden or park, often designed to look like a ruin or ancient temple.
    • The wealthy landowner built a Gothic folly on the hill just for fun.
    • The estate's garden features a stone folly shaped like a medieval tower.
    • We picnicked near an old folly that looked like a Greek temple.
What does "folly" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean