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play the fool

Meaning in simple English, pronunciation and examples

Pronunciation: US /ˌpleɪ ðə ˈfuːl/

play the fool means: You behave in a silly way, often to make people laugh.

verb

ACT SILLYB2

You behave in a silly way, often to make people laugh.

  • Stop playing the fool.
  • He played the fool to make his little sister laugh.
  • Why do you always play the fool in class?

Similar words: clown around, fool around

Common phrases: play the fool, always play the fool

PRETEND IGNORANCEC1

You pretend that you do not know or understand something.

  • Do not play the fool; you know the answer.
  • He played the fool when we asked about the missing money.
  • She was playing the fool to avoid explaining her actions.

Similar words: play dumb, feign ignorance

Common phrases: play the fool, deliberately play the fool

Questions about play the fool

What does play the fool mean?

You behave in a silly way, often to make people laugh.

What is play the fool in other languages?

Türkçe: şaklabanlık yapmak · Español: hacer el payaso · Français: faire le clown · Deutsch: den Clown spielen · Italiano: fare il buffone · 日本語: ふざける

How do you pronounce play the fool?

It is pronounced /ˌpleɪ ðə ˈfuːl/.

How do you use play the fool in a sentence?

Stop playing the fool. He played the fool to make his little sister laugh.

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