how foolish of me

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "how foolish of me" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to express regret for doing something foolish or careless. For example: “I forgot to turn off the stove. How foolish of me!”.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

How foolish of me to think otherwise.

The New York Times

"How foolish of me not to realize that the open sludge flowing past the children is the way the system is supposed to work," Prior remarked.

The New Yorker

How foolish of me to think I could stretch this $5 out into 500 spins of the e-wheels.

Vice

Here's one amateur poet's take on it: "Wind it hits me with a mighty ferocity / Pain hits me with the realization that Vader is my father / How foolish of me to run off to this place called Cloud City / Ben, why didn't you tell me that a dark lord was my father?" The humor section is also well worth checking out.

Vice

I'm delighted that something else is now 'my responsibility', how foolish of me to think that actually seeing and treating patients was the job of a Dr rather than sitting coding.

BMJ Open

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

How foolish, of course.

The New York Times

JE: How foolish of you.

The New York Times - Arts

"How foolish of you...

The New York Times

How foolish of Western governments, especially in America and Britain, to betray allies like Hosni Mubarak and to pander to the Muslim Brotherhood and assorted narrow-minded Islamists.

The Economist

How foolish of her rich husband to leave her on holiday in the south of France while he goes away on business.

The Guardian - Books

How foolish of the Mets to complicate their manager's life at a time he needs to be planning the undressing of the Yankees' Joe Torre, in the manner he dusted the Giants' Baker and the genius La Russa.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "how foolish of me" to express immediate recognition and regret for a mistake, especially when acknowledging a personal failing or oversight.

Common error

While acceptable, avoid using "how foolish of me" excessively in formal or professional writing. Opt for more direct and professional language to acknowledge errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "how foolish of me" functions as an exclamatory expression of self-reproach. It indicates a realization of one's own foolishness or lack of good judgment. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "how foolish of me" is a correct and usable expression for conveying regret or self-reproach, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. While grammatically sound, its usage is relatively rare, primarily appearing in News & Media contexts. It serves to acknowledge a personal mistake or oversight and is best suited for neutral to informal settings. Alternatives like "how silly of me" or "it was foolish of me" can offer subtle variations in tone. Avoid overuse in formal writing, opting for more direct language to express errors professionally. Remember that while the phrase is acceptable, being direct is more professional.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it was foolish of me

Rephrases the sentiment using a past tense construction.

how silly of me

Changes the adjective to convey a sense of lighthearted foolishness.

I was foolish to think that

Expresses the foolishness in terms of a prior belief or expectation.

how naive of me

Replaces "foolish" with a term emphasizing a lack of experience or awareness.

I should have known better

Expresses the sentiment as a failure to anticipate the consequences.

how stupid of me

Uses a stronger term to indicate a significant lack of intelligence or understanding.

what was I thinking

A rhetorical question expressing disbelief in one's past actions.

how inconsiderate of me

Focuses on the lack of regard for others in the action.

how thoughtless of me

Highlights the lack of careful consideration before acting.

I can't believe I did that

Expresses a strong sense of disbelief and regret.

FAQs

How can I use "how foolish of me" in a sentence?

You can use "how foolish of me" to express regret or realization of a mistake. For example: "I left my keys at home. "How foolish of me"!"

What's a more formal way to say "how foolish of me"?

In a more formal context, you could say "It was imprudent of me", "I regret my misjudgment", or "I should have been more careful".

Is it grammatically correct to say "how foolish of me"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The phrase expresses a sentiment of self-directed foolishness or regret.

What's the difference between "how foolish of me" and "how stupid of me"?

While similar, "how foolish of me" implies a lack of wisdom or judgment, while "how stupid of me" suggests a lack of intelligence or understanding. The former is generally milder in tone.