different between fearless vs foolhardy

English

Etymology

fear +? -less

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /?f??l?s/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?f??l?s/
• Rhymes: -??(?)l?s
• Hyphenation: fear?less

Adjective

fearless (comparative more fearless, superlative most fearless)

1. Without fear.
   • 1990, House of Cards, Season 1, Episode 3:

     "Our fearless reporter"... I'm not fearless, John. I don't like this.

Synonyms

• frightless

Derived terms

• fearlessness
• fearlessly

Translations

See also

• unafraid
• intrepid
• courageous

English

Etymology

From Middle English folehardy, foolhardi, folherdi, from Old French fol hardi (“foolishly bold”), from Old French fol (“foolish, silly; insane, mad”) (from Latin follis (“bellows; purse, sack; inflated ball; belly, paunch”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *b?el??- (“to swell”)) + Old French hardi (“durable, hardy, tough”) (past tense of hardir (“to harden”), from the unattested Frankish *hartjan, from Proto-Germanic *harduz (“hard; brave”)), equivalent to fool +? hardy. Compare fool-bold, fool-large, etc.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?fu?lh??di/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?ful?h??di/
• Hyphenation: fool?har?dy

Adjective

foolhardy (comparative foolhardier or more foolhardy, superlative foolhardiest or most foolhardy)

1. Marked by unthinking recklessness with disregard for danger; boldly rash; hotheaded.

Synonyms

• bold
• daring
• foolish
• irresponsible
• rash
• reckless

Derived terms

• foolhardice (obsolete)
• foolhardihood (obsolete)
• foolhardily
• foolhardiness

Translations

Middle English

Adjective

foolhardy

1. Alternative form of folehardy