silly

1 of 3

adjective

sil·ly ˈsi-lē How to pronounce silly (audio)

sillier; silliest

: exhibiting or indicative of a lack of common sense or sound judgment

a very silly mistake

: weak in intellect

acting like a silly fool

: playfully lighthearted and amusing

a silly sense of humor

: trifling, frivolous

a silly waste of time

: being stunned or dazed

scared silly

knocked me silly

archaic : rustic, plain

The silly buckets on the deck,/That had so long remained,/I dreamt that they were filled with dew;/And when I awoke, it rained.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

obsolete : lowly in station : humble

archaic : helpless, weak

sillily

ˈsi-lə-lē

adverb

silliness

ˈsi-lē-nəs How to pronounce silly (audio)

noun

silly

2 of 3

adverb

informal : to an extreme degree

was scared silly

bored silly

: in a silly manner : in an absurd or ridiculous way

talking/behaving silly

Benny Hill just walked silly, period, usually at high speed, to the accompaniment of cheesy pop music …

Charles Isherwood

silly

3 of 3

noun

plural sillies

: one who is silly : a foolish person

"But there," she told herself, "I am very likely a silly—meeting trouble half-way."

D. H. Lawrence

"Well then, silly, why not stay!"

Edna Ferber

"And who, then? Oh, the long line of sillies, light-weights, rakes, ne'er-do-wells, who … constituted society."

Theodore Dreiser

When the narrator describes women directly they seem … innately either sentimental sillies … or … pious hypocrites.

Myra Jehlen

Example Sentences

Adjective I hope I didn't make any silly mistakes. The idea does seem a bit silly. That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. You drove in this weather? What a silly thing to do! Silly me. I locked myself out of the car again. Ask a silly question, and you get a silly answer. “I can't ask you to do that.” “Don't be silly. It is my pleasure.” What a silly little purse. It looks too small to hold everything that I'd need to carry. I'm tired of watching silly movies. The book was a silly waste of time. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

It’s quintessential Peele: memorably surreal, spooky and a little bit silly.

Michael O'sullivan, Anchorage Daily News, 20 July 2022 Everyone’s reaction seemed a bit silly—like getting mad about a fart.

Ian Allen, The New Republic, 20 Apr. 2022 Doesn’t this all sound even just a little bit silly?

Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2022 Perhaps as silly and a bit more edgy is Tiffany Haddish’s police officer pulling Joe over.

Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 4 Aug. 2022 Liu and Bender were two of the many stars at the Bullet Train premiere in Los Angeles, where Liu posed with current and former castmates as well as Bender; the two took some silly and sweet photos together before walking the red carpet hand-in-hand.

Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 2 Aug. 2022 Memes and GIFs from the movie, which often depict the characters in silly and sometimes explicit contexts, are hard to miss on social media.

New York Times, 16 July 2022 Personable, athletic, a little silly sometimes, the Pittsburgh-area native with that big radiant smile, the square jaw, the thick head of wavy hair, could chat up anyone.

Manuel Roig-franzia, Anchorage Daily News, 28 July 2022 Personable, athletic, a little silly sometimes, the Pittsburgh-area native with that big radiant smile, the square jaw, the thick head of wavy hair, could chat up anyone.

Manuel Roig-franzia, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 See More

silliness

noun

as in insanity

lack of good sense or judgment she was both amused and irritated by the silliness of his comments regarding the movie they has just seen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

insanity
madness
absurdity
simplicity
craziness
wackiness
zaniness
daftness
foolishness
inanity
fatuousness
preposterousness
lunacy
nuttiness
stupidness
unwisdom
witlessness
dottiness
stupidity
imbecility
idiocy
asininity
brainlessness
ridiculousness
fatuity
nonsensicalness
folly
senselessness
obtuseness
balminess
irrationality
simpleness
mindlessness
dullness
slowness
unreasonableness
dopiness
feeblemindedness
simplemindedness
kookiness
weirdness
oafishness
ludicrousness
dumbness
dippiness
denseness
fallacy
doltishness
dulness
vacuity
gormlessness
dim-wittedness
laughableness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sanity
wisdom
prudence
sagacity
soundness
rationality
validity
sensibleness
reasonableness
sapience
logicality
reasonability
insight
perception
sagaciousness
discernment
sageness
logicalness
rationalness
percipience

as in nonsense

language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense stop this silliness at once!

Synonyms & Similar Words

nonsense
stupidity
nuts
garbage
craziness
blah
rubbish
foolishness
drool
insanity
absurdity
madness
muck
jazz
hokum
twaddle
bunk
claptrap
balderdash
guff
piffle
trash
hogwash
humbuggery
malarkey
baloney
bunkum
falderal
poppycock
absurdness
punk
beans
trumpery
folderol
blither
flapdoodle
blather
idiocy
hooey
rot
tosh
malarky
bilge
bull
folly
fiddle
fiddlesticks
senselessness
fudge
blah-blah
tommyrot
drivel
blatherskite
crock
bosh
crapola
blarney
inanity
codswallop
humbug
boloney
tomfoolery
buncombe
horsefeathers
applesauce
kookiness
fiddle-faddle
nerts
lunacy
tarradiddle
hokeypokey
hoodoo
moonshine
imbecility
foolery
asininity
taradiddle
witlessness
flannel
fatuity
greek
slush
rigmarole
gas
inaneness
shenanigan(s)
monkey business
hot air
rigamarole
hoity-toity
monkeyshine(s)
hocus-pocus
double-talk

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rationality
sensibleness
reasonableness
reasonability
sense
levelheadedness
wisdom
horse sense
judgment
judgement
discernment
common sense

as in glee

a lack of seriousness often at an improper time this inability to refrain from silliness is a distressing sign of professional immaturity

Synonyms & Similar Words

glee
lightness
cheerfulness
frivolity
levity
flippancy
frivolousness
facetiousness
goofiness
childishness
hilarity
mirth
festivity
cheer
lightheartedness
joviality
frothiness
gleefulness
merriment
flightiness
mirthfulness
light-mindedness
gaiety
puerility
light-headedness
gayety
high-spiritedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

seriousness
earnestness
gravity
solemnity
soberness
sadness
melancholy
solemnness
unhappiness
gloom
sullenness
gloominess
dejection
moroseness
depression
despondency
joylessness
heartsickness
dispiritedness
downheartedness
mopes

单词	silliness
释义	silly 1 of 3 adjective sil·ly ˈsi-lē sillier; silliest 1 a : exhibiting or indicative of a lack of common sense or sound judgment a very silly mistake b : weak in intellect acting like a silly fool c : playfully lighthearted and amusing a silly sense of humor d : trifling, frivolous a silly waste of time 2 : being stunned or dazed scared silly knocked me silly 3 a archaic : rustic, plain The silly buckets on the deck,/That had so long remained,/I dreamt that they were filled with dew;/And when I awoke, it rained. Samuel Taylor Coleridge b obsolete : lowly in station : humble 4 archaic : helpless, weak sillily ˈsi-lə-lē adverb silliness ˈsi-lē-nəs noun silly 2 of 3 adverb 1 informal : to an extreme degree was scared silly bored silly 2 : in a silly manner : in an absurd or ridiculous way talking/behaving silly Benny Hill just walked silly, period, usually at high speed, to the accompaniment of cheesy pop music … Charles Isherwood silly 3 of 3 noun plural sillies : one who is silly : a foolish person "But there," she told herself, "I am very likely a silly—meeting trouble half-way." D. H. Lawrence "Well then, silly, why not stay!" Edna Ferber "And who, then? Oh, the long line of sillies, light-weights, rakes, ne'er-do-wells, who … constituted society." Theodore Dreiser When the narrator describes women directly they seem … innately either sentimental sillies … or … pious hypocrites. Myra Jehlen Synonyms Adjective birdbrained ditzy ditsy dizzy featherbrained flighty frivolous frothy futile giddy goofy harebrained light-headed light-minded puerile scatterbrained yeasty See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Adjective I hope I didn't make any silly mistakes. The idea does seem a bit silly. That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. You drove in this weather? What a silly thing to do! Silly me. I locked myself out of the car again. Ask a silly question, and you get a silly answer. “I can't ask you to do that.” “Don't be silly. It is my pleasure.” What a silly little purse. It looks too small to hold everything that I'd need to carry. I'm tired of watching silly movies. The book was a silly waste of time. See More Recent Examples on the Web Adjective It’s quintessential Peele: memorably surreal, spooky and a little bit silly. Michael O'sullivan, Anchorage Daily News, 20 July 2022 Everyone’s reaction seemed a bit silly—like getting mad about a fart. Ian Allen, The New Republic, 20 Apr. 2022 Doesn’t this all sound even just a little bit silly? Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2022 Perhaps as silly and a bit more edgy is Tiffany Haddish’s police officer pulling Joe over. Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 4 Aug. 2022 Liu and Bender were two of the many stars at the Bullet Train premiere in Los Angeles, where Liu posed with current and former castmates as well as Bender; the two took some silly and sweet photos together before walking the red carpet hand-in-hand. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 2 Aug. 2022 Memes and GIFs from the movie, which often depict the characters in silly and sometimes explicit contexts, are hard to miss on social media. New York Times, 16 July 2022 Personable, athletic, a little silly sometimes, the Pittsburgh-area native with that big radiant smile, the square jaw, the thick head of wavy hair, could chat up anyone. Manuel Roig-franzia, Anchorage Daily News, 28 July 2022 Personable, athletic, a little silly sometimes, the Pittsburgh-area native with that big radiant smile, the square jaw, the thick head of wavy hair, could chat up anyone. Manuel Roig-franzia, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Adjective Middle English sely, silly happy, innocent, pitiable, feeble, from Old English sǣlig, from sǣl happiness; akin to Old High German sālig happy First Known Use Adjective 15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4 Adverb 1731, in the meaning defined at sense 2 Noun 1560, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing silly silly season wear a silly grin/smile on one's face silly season wear a silly grin/smile on one's face Kids Definition silly adjective sil·ly ˈsi-lē sillier; silliest 1 : having or showing a lack of common sense : foolish Silly me! I forgot again. What a silly mistake! 2 : not serious or important a silly reason 3 : playful and lighthearted silly jokes silliness noun 1 as in insanity lack of good sense or judgment she was both amused and irritated by the silliness of his comments regarding the movie they has just seen Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance insanity madness absurdity simplicity craziness wackiness zaniness daftness foolishness inanity fatuousness preposterousness lunacy nuttiness stupidness unwisdom witlessness dottiness stupidity imbecility idiocy asininity brainlessness ridiculousness fatuity nonsensicalness folly senselessness obtuseness balminess irrationality simpleness mindlessness dullness slowness unreasonableness dopiness feeblemindedness simplemindedness kookiness weirdness oafishness ludicrousness dumbness dippiness denseness fallacy doltishness dulness vacuity gormlessness dim-wittedness laughableness Antonyms & Near Antonyms sanity wisdom prudence sagacity soundness rationality validity sensibleness reasonableness sapience logicality reasonability insight perception sagaciousness discernment sageness logicalness rationalness percipience See More 2 as in nonsense language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense stop this silliness at once! Synonyms & Similar Words nonsense stupidity nuts garbage craziness blah rubbish foolishness drool insanity absurdity madness muck jazz hokum twaddle bunk claptrap balderdash guff piffle trash hogwash humbuggery malarkey baloney bunkum falderal poppycock absurdness punk beans trumpery folderol blither flapdoodle blather idiocy hooey rot tosh malarky bilge bull folly fiddle fiddlesticks senselessness fudge blah-blah tommyrot drivel blatherskite crock bosh crapola blarney inanity codswallop humbug boloney tomfoolery buncombe horsefeathers applesauce kookiness fiddle-faddle nerts lunacy tarradiddle hokeypokey hoodoo moonshine imbecility foolery asininity taradiddle witlessness flannel fatuity greek slush rigmarole gas inaneness shenanigan(s) monkey business hot air rigamarole hoity-toity monkeyshine(s) hocus-pocus double-talk Antonyms & Near Antonyms rationality sensibleness reasonableness reasonability sense levelheadedness wisdom horse sense judgment judgement discernment common sense See More 3 as in glee a lack of seriousness often at an improper time this inability to refrain from silliness is a distressing sign of professional immaturity Synonyms & Similar Words glee lightness cheerfulness frivolity levity flippancy frivolousness facetiousness goofiness childishness hilarity mirth festivity cheer lightheartedness joviality frothiness gleefulness merriment flightiness mirthfulness light-mindedness gaiety puerility light-headedness gayety high-spiritedness Antonyms & Near Antonyms seriousness earnestness gravity solemnity soberness sadness melancholy solemnness unhappiness gloom sullenness gloominess dejection moroseness depression despondency joylessness heartsickness dispiritedness downheartedness mopes See More
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silly

adjective

adverb

noun

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing silly

Kids Definition

adjective

noun