silliness

[sil-ee-nis]

noun

1. the quality of lacking good sense; foolishness.

   The author pokes fun at herself and the general silliness of celebrity culture.

   Her blog cuts through the contradictions, misinformation, and downright silliness out there about naturopathy.

2. absurdity, ridiculousness, or irrationality.

   This “no-touch” policy occasionally devolves into silliness, as when a teacher hesitates to help a five-year-old zip up a jacket.

3. clownish, whimsical, or exaggerated humor and playfulness; unrestrained high spirits.

   Our sessions included a lot of chatter, laughter, and silliness—exactly what sitting around a table playing games with friends is all about.

Word History and Origins

Origin of silliness¹

silly ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

Put into the same boxing ring to duke it out, the movie’s unintentional silliness easily KO’s its blips of emotional gravity.

Read more on Salon

It can seem an overused device, but it often produces good results, and, based on the two episodes out for review, the results here, rich in slapstick and silliness, are very good.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

As often as you may be tickled by its fanged silliness, you’ll also be drained.

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They sometimes provide platforms for silliness, including speech that some people find offensive.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"It's a survival record – full of pain but also silliness."

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• absurdity 
• craziness 
• foolishness 
• goofiness www.thesaurus.com
• stupidity