See fool's errand on Wiktionary
Download JSON data for fool's errand meaning in All languages combined (4.5kB)
{
"etymology_text": "18th century.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "fools' errands",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "fools' errands"
},
"expansion": "fool's errand (plural fools' errands)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "57 43",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1821, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 1, in Kenilworth",
"text": "If I were to travel only that I might be discontented with that which I can get at home, methinks I should go but on a fool's errand.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1988 March 7, Michael S. Serrill, “Diplomacy To Dream the Impossible Dream”, in Time, archived from the original on 2013-06-30",
"text": "Shultz took little notice of the Soviet view or that of others who said his Middle East mission was a fool's errand. \"You can't be too afraid of failing,\" said the 67-year-old diplomat.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail."
],
"id": "en-fool's_errand-en-noun-oWBSp~xT",
"links": [
[
"foolish",
"foolish"
],
[
"undertaking",
"undertaking"
],
[
"purposeless",
"purposeless"
],
[
"fruitless",
"fruitless"
],
[
"nonsensical",
"nonsensical"
],
[
"certain",
"certain"
],
[
"fail",
"fail"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail."
],
"related": [
{
"_dis1": "65 35",
"word": "key to the midway"
},
{
"_dis1": "65 35",
"word": "wild-goose chase"
}
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "idiot's errand"
},
{
"word": "lost errand"
},
{
"word": "sleeveless errand"
},
{
"word": "wild-goose chase"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "hullun homma"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "hullutus"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "vergebliche Mühe"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"dated",
"masculine",
"rare"
],
"word": "Metzgergang"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "ברכה לבטלה"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "משימה שנידונה לכישלון"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "משימה אבודה מראש"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "compito da pazzi"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "follia"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "impresa folle"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "honeorizon",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "骨折り損"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "mudaashi",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "むだ足"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "próżny wysiłek"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "misión imposible"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "tarea de tontos"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "abesle iştigal"
},
{
"_dis1": "72 28",
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "boş iş"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"glosses": [
"Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank."
],
"id": "en-fool's_errand-en-noun-OepR0kvK",
"links": [
[
"prank",
"prank"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "snipe hunt"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-fool's errand.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/66/En-au-fool%27s_errand.ogg/En-au-fool%27s_errand.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/En-au-fool%27s_errand.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"word": "fool's errand"
}
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English nouns",
"English terms with audio links"
],
"etymology_text": "18th century.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "fools' errands",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "fools' errands"
},
"expansion": "fool's errand (plural fools' errands)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"related": [
{
"word": "key to the midway"
},
{
"word": "wild-goose chase"
}
],
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English idioms",
"English terms with quotations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "1821, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 1, in Kenilworth",
"text": "If I were to travel only that I might be discontented with that which I can get at home, methinks I should go but on a fool's errand.",
"type": "quotation"
},
{
"ref": "1988 March 7, Michael S. Serrill, “Diplomacy To Dream the Impossible Dream”, in Time, archived from the original on 2013-06-30",
"text": "Shultz took little notice of the Soviet view or that of others who said his Middle East mission was a fool's errand. \"You can't be too afraid of failing,\" said the 67-year-old diplomat.",
"type": "quotation"
}
],
"glosses": [
"A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail."
],
"links": [
[
"foolish",
"foolish"
],
[
"undertaking",
"undertaking"
],
[
"purposeless",
"purposeless"
],
[
"fruitless",
"fruitless"
],
[
"nonsensical",
"nonsensical"
],
[
"certain",
"certain"
],
[
"fail",
"fail"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "idiot's errand"
},
{
"word": "lost errand"
},
{
"word": "sleeveless errand"
},
{
"word": "wild-goose chase"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English idioms"
],
"glosses": [
"Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank."
],
"links": [
[
"prank",
"prank"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) Such an undertaking, assigned as a prank."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "snipe hunt"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-fool's errand.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/66/En-au-fool%27s_errand.ogg/En-au-fool%27s_errand.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/En-au-fool%27s_errand.ogg",
"tags": [
"Australia"
],
"text": "Audio (AU)"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "hullun homma"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "hullutus"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "vergebliche Mühe"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"dated",
"masculine",
"rare"
],
"word": "Metzgergang"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "ברכה לבטלה"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "משימה שנידונה לכישלון"
},
{
"code": "he",
"lang": "Hebrew",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "משימה אבודה מראש"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "compito da pazzi"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "follia"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "impresa folle"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "honeorizon",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "骨折り損"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "mudaashi",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "むだ足"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"masculine"
],
"word": "próżny wysiłek"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "misión imposible"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"tags": [
"feminine"
],
"word": "tarea de tontos"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "abesle iştigal"
},
{
"code": "tr",
"lang": "Turkish",
"sense": "foolish undertaking",
"word": "boş iş"
}
],
"word": "fool's errand"
}
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable All languages combined dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (a644e18 and edd475d). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.