play the fool

verb

To behave in a foolish or comical manner.

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Meanings

verbplay the fool (third-person singular simple present plays the fool, present participle playing the fool, simple past and past participle played the fool)

present singular third person plays the fool · participle present playing the fool · participle past played the fool · past played the fool

  1. idiomaticTo behave in a foolish or comical manner.

    Back in school again, Maxwell plays the fool again Teacher gets annoyed

    1969, Paul McCartney, “Maxwell's Silver Hammer”, in Abbey Road, performed by The Beatles
  2. idiomaticTo pretend or feign ignorance.

    I play the fool when we're together But I cry when we're apart, yeah I couldn't do you no better Don't break what's left of my broken heart, baby

    1980, Prince, “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?”, in Prince

Translations

Ancient Greek μωραίνω
  • μωραίνω (mōraínō)behave in a foolish manner
Arabic تَصَرَّفَ بِغَبَاء
  • تَصَرَّفَ بِغَبَاء (taṣarrafa bi-ḡabāʔ)behave in a foolish manner
Catalan fer l'andorrà
  • fer l'andorràpretend ignorance
Chinese Cantonese 詐傻 /诈傻
  • 詐傻 /诈傻 (zaa³ so⁴)pretend ignorance
Chinese Mandarin 出洋相, 胡鬧 /胡闹
  • 出洋相 (chūyángxiàng)behave in a foolish manner
  • 胡鬧 /胡闹 (húnào)behave in a foolish manner
  • 幹蠢事 /干蠢事 (gàn chǔnshì)behave in a foolish manner
  • 裝傻 /装傻 (zhuāngshǎ)pretend ignorance
  • 裝傻充愣 /装傻充愣 (zhuāngshǎchōnglèng)pretend ignorance
Esperanto stultumi
  • stultumibehave in a foolish manner
Finnish pelleillä, hölmöillä
  • pelleilläbehave in a foolish manner
  • hölmöilläbehave in a foolish manner
  • teeskennellä tietämätöntäpretend ignorance
French faire l'idiot, faire l'imbécile
  • faire l'idiotbehave in a foolish manner
  • faire l'imbécilebehave in a foolish manner
  • faire l'andouillebehave in a foolish manner
  • feindre l'ignorancepretend ignorance
  • jouer au conpretend ignorance
German den Narren spielen, herumalbern
  • den Narren spielenbehave in a foolish manner
  • herumalbernbehave in a foolish manner
Greek μωραίνω
  • μωραίνω (moraíno)behave in a foolish manner
Italian fare il buffone, fare il finto tonto
  • fare il buffonebehave in a foolish manner
  • fare il finto tontopretend ignorance
Japanese ばかを見させる, とぼける
  • ばかを見させる (baka o miraseru)behave in a foolish manner
  • とぼける (tobokeru)pretend ignorance
Korean 광대 노릇을 하다
  • 광대 노릇을 하다 (gwangdae noreus-eul hada)behave in a foolish manner
Latin ineptio
  • ineptiobehave in a foolish manner
Latvian dzīt velnu, plēst velnu
  • dzīt velnubehave in a foolish manner
  • plēst velnubehave in a foolish manner
Māori whakaheahea
  • whakaheaheabehave in a foolish manner
Polish wygłupiać się, zgrywać głupiego
  • wygłupiać siębehave in a foolish manner
  • zgrywać głupiegopretend ignorance
Russian валя́ть дурака́, дура́читься
  • валя́ть дурака́ (valjátʹ duraká)behave in a foolish manner
  • дура́читься (duráčitʹsja)behave in a foolish manner
  • прики́дываться дурако́м (prikídyvatʹsja durakóm)pretend ignorance
Spanish hacer el canelo, hacerse el sueco
  • hacer el canelobehave in a foolish manner
  • hacerse el suecopretend ignorance
  • hacerse el tontopretend ignorance
  • hacerse el longuispretend ignorance
Swedish apa sig, spela pajas
  • apa sigbehave in a foolish manner
  • spela pajasbehave in a foolish manner
  • löjla sigbehave in a foolish manner
  • spela dumpretend ignorance
Cite this entry
APA

play the fool. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20the%20fool

MLA

“play the fool.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20the%20fool. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “play the fool,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20the%20fool.

Source: play the fool on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.