Nonsense vs Foolish - What's the difference?
nonsense | foolish |
Letters or words, in writing or speech, that have no meaning or seem to have no meaning.
An untrue statement.
Something foolish.
* 2008 , "Nick Leeson has some lessons for this collapse", Telegraph.co.uk, Oct 9, 2008
(literature) A type of poetry that contains strange or surreal ideas, as, for example, that written by .
(biology) A damaged DNA sequence whose products are not biologically active, that is, that does nothing.
To make nonsense of
* Bernard Shaw, "The Red Robe", in James Huneker ed., Dramatic Opinions and Essays by G. Bernard Shaw , volume II, page 73:
To attempt to dismiss as nonsense.
* 1997 , "Rockies respond to whip", Denver Post , Jun 3, 1997:
* 2000 , Leon Garfield, Jason Cockcroft, Jack Holborn , page 131:
* 2006 , Sierra Leone: Petroleum Unit Calls for Auditing , AllAfrica.com, Mar 17, 2006:
To joke around, to waste time
* 1963 , C. F. Griffin, The Impermanence of Heroes , page 170:
Resulting from the substitution of a nucleotide in a sense codon, causing it to become a stop codon (not coding for an amino-acid).
Lacking good sense or judgement; unwise.
:
*
*:As a political system democracy seems to me extraordinarily foolish , but I would not go out of my way to protest against it. My servant is, so far as I am concerned, welcome to as many votes as he can get. I would very gladly make mine over to him if I could.
Resembling or characteristic of a fool.
:
*(Aeschylus)
*:It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish .
As adjectives the difference between nonsense and foolish
is that nonsense is resulting from the substitution of a nucleotide in a sense codon, causing it to become a stop codon (not coding for an amino-acid) while foolish is lacking good sense or judgement; unwise.As a noun nonsense
is letters or words, in writing or speech, that have no meaning or seem to have no meaning.As a verb nonsense
is to make nonsense of.nonsense
English
Alternative forms
* nonsence (archaic)Noun
(wikipedia nonsense) (en-noun)- After my father had a stroke, every time he tried to talk, it sounded like nonsense .
- He says that I stole his computer, but that's just nonsense .
- and central banks lend vast sums against marshmallow backed securities, or other nonsenses creative bankers dreamed up.
Synonyms
: See * (something that lacks meaning or absurd statement) ** (mostly colloquialisms or slang) balderdash, baloney, bull, bulldust, bunk, codswallop, drivel, gibberish, hogwash, hooey (US), horse hockey, malarkey, manure, poppycock, prattle, rhubarb (chiefly British), rubbish, twaddle ** (vulgar slang) bollocks (British), bullshit, crap, horseshit (US)Derived terms
* nonsensical * nonsensification * nonsensifySee also
* (biology) missenseVerb
(nonsens)- At the Haymarket all this is nonsensed by an endeavor to steer between Mr. Stanley Weyman's rights as author of the story and the prescriptive right of the leading actor to fight popularly and heroically against heavy odds.
- "They haven't nonsensed these workouts. They've taken them and used them very well. I didn't know how they'd respond, but they've responded."
- Very commanding: very much 'end of this nonsensing' . Mister Fared spread his hands and shook his thin head imperceptibly, as if to say he understood
- He further nonsensed press suggestions that the Petroleum Unit was set up to assist in the administration of sporting activities.
- When he meant "go and get one" he said to go and get one, with no nonsensing around about "liking" to get one.
