tomfooling
Engaging in nonsense
Tomfooling is engaging in silly, frivolous behavior—acting the fool without serious purpose.
The word derives from tomfool, meaning a foolish or stupid person: Stop tomfooling around and get to work.
The noun tomfoolery is more common than the verb form.
Ludicrous or silly conduct
- clowningPlayful comic behavior
- shenanigansMischievous or deceitful behavior
- horseplayBoisterous rough behavior
- hijinksBoisterous playful mischief
monkeyshines · skylarking · capers · pranks · larks · foolery · silliness · goofing
Lighthearted energetic movement
- rompingPlaying with energetic movement
- cavortingMoving playfully, energetically
- gambolingPlayful jumping about
- friskingSearching someone's clothing
rollicking · larking · capering · prancing · sporting · jesting · merrymaking · revelry
Deliberately causing discord
- devilmentGleeful causing of trouble
- devilryWicked or mischievous conduct
- impishnessPlayful mischievous quality
- roguishnessPlayfully mischievous character
rascality · naughtiness · misbehavior · prankishness · trickery · waggishness · puckishness · knavery
Frivolous, absurd behavior
- absurdityWildly illogical quality
- ridiculousnessQuality of being laughable
- stupidityLack of intelligence
- inanityPointless, shallow foolishness
fatuousness · asininity · daftness · idiocy · lunacy · madness · craziness · senselessness
buffoonery
Ludicrous or silly conduct
- clowningPlayful comic behavior
- shenanigansMischievous or deceitful behavior
- horseplayBoisterous rough behavior
hijinks · monkeyshines · skylarking · capers · pranks · larks · foolery · silliness · goofing · mugging
frolicking
Lighthearted energetic movement
- rompingPlaying with energetic movement
- cavortingMoving playfully, energetically
- gambolingPlayful jumping about
frisking · rollicking · larking · capering · prancing · sporting · jesting · merrymaking · revelry · gaiety
troublemaking
Deliberately causing discord
- devilmentGleeful causing of trouble
- devilryWicked or mischievous conduct
- impishnessPlayful mischievous quality
roguishness · rascality · naughtiness · misbehavior · prankishness · trickery · waggishness · puckishness · knavery · waggery
silliness
Frivolous, absurd behavior
- absurdityWildly illogical quality
- ridiculousnessQuality of being laughable
- stupidityLack of intelligence
inanity · fatuousness · asininity · daftness · idiocy · lunacy · madness · craziness · senselessness · frivolousness
tomfoolingworking
In active function
laboring · toiling · buckling down · applying oneself · industriousness
fool, foolish, fooled, fooling, foolishness, tomfoolery, tomfool, fooler, tomfools