incredibly foolish

USAGE SUMMARY

"incredibly foolish" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe an action or decision that is extremely unwise or lacking in sense. Example: "It was incredibly foolish of him to invest all his savings in that scheme." Alternative expressions include "extremely unwise" and "remarkably silly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

27 human-written examples

Markets were incredibly foolish.

The New York Times - Magazine

"It was an incredibly foolish corporate decision," he said.

The New York Times

He describes government arts policy as "incredibly foolish".

The Guardian

It was a destructive and incredibly foolish decision on multiple levels.

The New York Times

And if this sounds incredibly foolish, well, who ever said that wisdom rules the world?

The New York Times

The people who seem so smart at some moments seem incredibly foolish in others.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

33 human-written examples

For anyone to believe that this time everything will be different, they would have to be incredibly optimistic or foolish.

The Guardian - Opinion

"Trump's statement is incredibly reckless and foolish," Kingston Reif, director of disarmament and threat reduction policy for the Arms Control Association, said to HuffPost.

Huffington Post

But colleagues deemed us incredibly brave or absurdly foolish.

Huffington Post

To call him incredibly, stupendously, mind-numbingly, painfully foolish would not be an overstatement.

Huffington Post

As you may now, trading away a superstar in this league is not only foolish, but it's also incredibly rare.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "incredibly foolish" to express strong disapproval or disbelief regarding a decision or action. Ensure the context clearly indicates why the action is considered unwise. For a less critical tone, consider alternatives like "unwise" or "ill-advised".

Common error

Avoid pairing "incredibly foolish" with redundant intensifiers (e.g., "very incredibly foolish"). The adverb "incredibly" already provides significant emphasis, making additional modifiers unnecessary and potentially weakening the impact.

Linguistic Context

Incredibly foolish functions primarily as an adjectival phrase, modifying a noun or pronoun to describe something as extremely unwise or lacking good sense. Ludwig AI confirms its frequent use in expressing strong disapproval.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "incredibly foolish" is a commonly used phrase to describe something as extremely unwise or lacking good sense. Ludwig AI analysis confirms its grammatical correctness and widespread use, particularly in News & Media. While suitable for various contexts, it's important to avoid redundancy and to consider more formal alternatives like "remarkably imprudent" for academic or scientific writing. When you want to express strong disapproval or disbelief, "incredibly foolish" is a strong and appropriate choice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

extremely unwise

Replaces "incredibly" with "extremely", maintaining a similar level of intensity but using different wording.

remarkably imprudent

Substitutes both words for synonyms with a slightly more formal tone.

utterly senseless

Emphasizes the lack of reason or logic.

exceptionally silly

Replaces "foolish" with "silly", reducing the severity of the statement.

patently absurd

Implies the foolishness is obvious and easily recognizable.

downright stupid

Uses a more direct and informal term for foolishness.

stunningly idiotic

Uses a stronger synonym for "foolish" to increase the impact.

highly ill-advised

Focuses on the poor judgment involved in the action.

incredibly short-sighted

Highlights the lack of foresight in the foolish action.

monumentally misguided

Emphasizes the significant error in judgment.

FAQs

How can I use "incredibly foolish" in a sentence?

You can use "incredibly foolish" to describe actions, decisions, or ideas that are extremely unwise or lacking in good judgment. For example, "It was an incredibly foolish decision to invest all their savings in that risky venture."

What are some alternatives to saying "incredibly foolish"?

Alternatives include "extremely unwise", "remarkably imprudent", or "utterly senseless", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is "incredibly foolish" formal or informal?

"Incredibly foolish" is suitable for both neutral and informal contexts. For more formal writing, consider alternatives like "highly ill-advised" or "remarkably imprudent".

When should I use "incredibly foolish" versus simply "foolish"?

Use "incredibly foolish" when you want to emphasize the extreme nature of the foolishness. It adds a stronger degree of disapproval or disbelief than simply saying "foolish".