Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

fool's gold

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.12 in modern English

Syllables: fool's -gold
IPA

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold; mainly iron pyrite.

Uncountable

noun

Something worthless that deceptively seems valuable.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"Although many dot-com dreams turned to fool's gold in a short time, in reality, there are a number of entrepreneurial ventures that not only survived but thrived during and after the dot-com crash."

Etymology

From the idea that the mineral fools people (especially those who are fools) into mistakenly thinking that they have found gold. Regarding minerals that were named for deceptive appearance that prompts confusion with others, compare also apatite.

Usage

Uncountable

Synonyms

pyrite iron pyrite

Questions

What does fool's gold mean?: A mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold; mainly iron pyrite.
Where does fool's gold come from?: From the idea that the mineral fools people (especially those who are fools) into mistakenly thinking that they have found gold. Regarding minerals that were named for deceptive appearance that prompts confusion with others, compare also apatite.

How to pronounce fool's gold

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