Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The quality of being foolhardy; courage without prudence or judgment; senseless rashness.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Courage without sense or judgment; foolish rashness; recklessness.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The quality of being foolhardy.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the trait of giving little thought to danger

Etymologies

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Examples

  • Meurons, Frances used to expostulate against what she called my foolhardiness in making these evening visits; but their presence made no difference to me.

    Lords of the North 1903

  • Some of the students, however, blamed Helmar for what they termed his foolhardiness in interfering.

    Under the Rebel's Reign Charles Neufeld 1901

  • Life is a precious gift from God, and no one has a right to risk his life in a rash foolhardiness, which is very different from the true courage which does not shrink from facing danger if the life of one more helpless than himself is in peril.

    Twilight and Dawn Simple Talks on the Six Days of Creation Caroline Pridham

  • But she was seized by that excess of bravery which is called foolhardiness, and driven by it to that peculiar and thoughtless vehemence of action which sometimes wins V. C.'s for men who, in later days, conceal amazement under the cherished decoration.

    The Prophet of Berkeley Square Robert Smythe Hichens 1907

  • This has been spoken of as an evidence of bravery; but, regarded in this light, it was only superfluous evidence of a fact which no one ever doubted; it really deserves better to be called foolhardiness, as Captain Penrose, who was one of the party, frankly described it in his Diary.

    Abraham Lincoln Morse, John T 1899

  • Even foolhardiness, that is boldness without an object, is not to be despised; in point of fact it is the same energy of feeling, only exercised as a kind of passion without any co-operation of the intelligent faculties.

    On War — Volume 1 Carl von Clausewitz 1805

  • Once he got a chance, he could explain that he was only worried about her, that he was afraid that her bravery (better not call it "foolhardiness") would be stronger than her fear, and she would end up in trouble-

    The Robin And The Kestrel Lackey, Mercedes 1993

  • The passing away of Basu - India's longest-serving chief minister whose unbroken 23-year-old rule of a Left Front coalition in West Bengal state is a history in itself - is seen as a blow to the communist movement in India, wilting under fragile unity, political "foolhardiness" and lack of pragmatic icons.

    INTER PRESS SERVICE 2010

  • The passing away of Basu - India's longest-serving chief minister whose unbroken 23-year-old rule of a Left Front coalition in West Bengal state is a history in itself - is seen as a blow to the communist movement in India, wilting under fragile unity, political "foolhardiness" and lack of pragmatic icons.

    INTER PRESS SERVICE 2010

  • While I initially had doubts about the kind of foolhardiness that leads to thinking one will succeed where others have not, after trying Bonsai, I think the restaurant has a good chance of breaking past cycles of bad luck, if only because I don't think luck bears on a restaurant's success or failure.

    Starbulletin Headlines 2008

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