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silly

silly

976 1.0
Not sensible and often a little foolish
  • adjective
  • /ˈsɪli/
translation icon : tonto
  • That is just a silly, silly notion.
  • look silly
  • feel silly
  • make silly mistakes

Now, this, this might seem kind of silly, but hear me out.

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Examples

  • You read some rather silly things in the press.

  • This is a bit of a silly idea, but let's go.

  • Now, this, this might seem kind of silly, but hear me out.

  • It's kind of silly, to be honest with you.

  • To those of us who teach, these questions seem silly, at least in principle.

    Academic text (1993)
  • I mean, that's such a silly thing to believe.

  • People prefer to be wild or silly within the confines of their own group.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Teresa felt relieved... and silly for not having thought of this sooner.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Yeah, I think that's silly and short sighted thinking.

  • It's silly to think that you can solve all your problems without any help.

Synonyms

ridiculous
vssilly
1.6

Very silly or unreasonable in a way that makes people laugh

is milder, focusing on unwise or pitiable behavior not just ridicule
pathetic
vssilly
  • Offensive
702 3.9

Very weak or sad in a way that makes people feel pity and dislike

focuses on unwise or trivial acts rather than only weakness
foolish
vssilly
505 1.3

Not showing good sense and making unwise choices

adds a sense of triviality or being deserving of pity
simple
vssilly
  • Offensive
138 8.1

Not smart or quick to understand

stresses poor judgment and triviality rather than low intellect
goofy
vssilly
  • Informal
129 3.5

Silly in a funny, slightly foolish way

is more negative, meaning unwise or deserving of pity
wacky
vssilly
  • Informal
98 5.9

Odd in a funny or silly way

is more about poor judgment and trivial pity rather than eccentric fun
frivolous
vssilly
74 6.8

Not serious and not useful, often wasting time or money

adds idea of weak judgment and possible pity beyond triviality
dopey
vssilly
  • Offensive
19 6.7

Not very smart and likely to act in a silly way

emphasizes poor judgment and the possibility of being pitiable
daft
vssilly
  • Informal
18 5.8

Silly in a way that is slightly funny

is less playful, stressing poor judgment and pity rather than fun
simple-minded
vssilly
  • Offensive
16 7.1

Not very intelligent and too naive about complex things

is more about poor judgment and being trivial or pitiable
dizzy
vssilly
  • Informal
12 3.9

Someone who is silly and not very serious

is more about poor judgment that can inspire pity
zany
vssilly
12 7.6

Funny and odd in a silly way that makes people laugh

is about bad judgment or trivial pity rather than comic eccentricity
giddy
vssilly
  • Informal
12 4.4

Acting silly and playful without being serious

is more negative, meaning unwise and possibly deserving pity
fatuous
vssilly
  • Offensive
7 8.9

Silly and foolish while acting proud of oneself

is more general, covering unwise acts that may deserve pity
ditzy
vssilly
  • Informal
5 8.2

Silly and a little forgetful in a friendly way

is darker, implying unwise choices and possible pity
empty-headed
vssilly
  • Offensive
3 6.3

Silly, not very intelligent and not serious

stresses unwise actions and a sense of deserving pity
goosey
vssilly
  • Informal
2 9.8

Silly in a way that shows bad judgment

adds a tone of triviality or pity rather than plain dullness
ditsy
vssilly
  • Informal
1 7.2

Being silly and forgetful but not serious

is more serious, implying poor judgment and possible pity
light-headed
vssilly
  • Informal
1 5.0

Being silly and not serious in behavior

is more about poor judgment and being pitiable than lightness
chumpy
vssilly
  • Informal
1 8.9

A little silly in a harmless, often funny way

is more critical, implying poor judgment and possible pity
goosy
vssilly
  • Informal
1 9.9

Being silly and not thinking clearly

leans more toward triviality and pity than neutral lack of mind
dopy
vssilly
  • Offensive
1 7.2

Silly and slow to understand things

focuses more on poor judgment and being somewhat pitiable
airheaded
vssilly
  • Offensive
1 7.9

Not thinking carefully and often acting silly

is more negative, implying unwise behavior deserving pity
goony
vssilly
  • Informal
1 8.9

Silly and awkward in a clumsy, funny way

is less about harmless clumsiness and more about poor judgment
whacky
vssilly
  • Informal
1 7.7

Funny in a strange or silly way

is less playful and more tied to unwise or pitiable conduct
duncical
vssilly
  • Offensive
9.9

Very foolish and showing little sense

has the same base but adds triviality and pity as shades
featherbrained
vssilly
  • Offensive
8.3

Not serious and likely to make bad choices

is harsher, highlighting poor judgment that may deserve pity
frivol
vssilly
  • Archaic
7.8

Not serious and showing little concern for important things

is closer to being unwise and possibly deserving of pity
bête
vssilly
9.9

Silly in a light, slightly embarrassed way

is more negative, highlighting lack of judgment and pity

Antonyms

452 1.4

Calm and focused, not playful or joking

201 2.7

Showing good judgment and making practical choices

Idioms

silly me
  • Informal
1 8.3

To show mild embarrassment after you make a small mistake

1 9.9

Act in a foolish, annoying way instead of being serious

To suddenly behave in a silly way that other people find odd

Compounds

2 2.8

A hat worn for fun, often at parties

silly season
  • Literature
1 6.5

A late summer time when newspapers and TV run silly, unimportant stories

How Silly

absurd
288 4.4
ridiculous
1.6
silly
976 1.0
foolish
505 1.3
childish
141 2.8

Surface Forms

silly positive
sillier comparative
silliest superlative

Etymology

Silly comes from an old English word sælig meaning 'happy' or 'blessed', which slowly changed to mean 'innocent' and then 'foolish' or 'lacking good sense'. So calling someone silly today points to that idea of being harmlessly foolish.