make a fool of

make a fool (out) of someone and make a monkey (out) of someone

to make someone look foolish. John made a monkey out of himself while trying to make a fool out of Jim. John made a fool out of himself at the party. Are you trying to make a monkey out of me?

See also: fool, make

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make a fool of yourself

to do something which makes you seem stupid He's always getting drunk and making a fool of himself at parties.

See also: fool, make

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make a fool of yourself also make a fool of somebody

to do something which makes you appear ridiculous If you're afraid to make a fool of yourself, you will never be a successful performer. My former husband thought it was fun to make a fool of me.

Related vocabulary: make a spectacle of yourself

See also: fool, make