Past tense of befool; having been tricked, deceived, or made to look foolish.
Past participle of 'befool,' combining 'be-' prefix with 'fool.' The 'be-' prefix in Old English intensified the action, so 'befool' means to actively render someone a fool through deception.
Medieval and early modern English writers loved the 'be-' prefix to make verbs more vivid and emphatic—'befool' is far more dramatic than just 'fool,' suggesting a complete transformation into foolishness. Shakespeare would have used this kind of word to show someone thoroughly humiliated.
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