silly

[ sil-ee ]

/ ˈsɪl i /

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adjective, sil·li·er, sil·li·est.

weak-minded or lacking good sense; stupid or foolish: a silly writer.

absurd; ridiculous; irrational: a silly idea.

stunned; dazed: He knocked me silly.

Cricket. (of a fielder or the fielder's playing position) extremely close to the batsman's wicket: silly mid off.

Archaic. rustic; plain; homely.

Archaic. weak; helpless.

Obsolete. lowly in rank or state; humble.

noun, plural sil·lies.

Informal. a silly or foolish person: Don't be such a silly.

Nearby words

sillery, silliman, sillimanite, sillitoe, sills, silly, silly billy, silly putty, silly season, silly-sider, sillyweed

Origin of silly

1375–1425; earlier sylie, sillie foolish, feeble-minded, simple, pitiful; late Middle English syly, variant of sely seely

SYNONYMS FOR silly

1 witless, senseless, dull-witted, dim-witted. See foolish.

2 inane, asinine, nonsensical, preposterous.

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ANTONYMS FOR silly

1 sensible.

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Related forms

sil·li·ly, adverbsil·li·ness, nounun·sil·ly, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for silliness

Yesterday, I wrote about the silliness of requiring a file clerk to have a college degree.
America’s New Mandarins|Megan McArdle|February 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
People are hurting, people died, and the time for silliness, debate, and procedural motions is over.
Jim McGreevey Says He’s Given Up Politics, Embraced a Simpler Life|Lloyd Grove|January 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Never mind that Bill Clinton remains living proof of the silliness of modern puritanism.
Exclusive: Paula Broadwell’s Emails Revealed|Michael Daly|November 12, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I could provide chapter and verse as to the silliness of energy independence.
Both Candidates Push Myth of Energy Independence|Robert Bryce|November 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST

“I think the silliness is part of the phenomenon,” Sokoloff tells The Daily Beast.
‘Sherlock’ Star Benedict Cumberbatch’s Polarizing ‘Cumberbitches’|Kevin Fallon|October 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Nothing—no pertness, no audacity, no silliness, no affectation—could impair the extraordinary charm.
Leonora|Arnold Bennett
What are all these receptions but one maze of dissipation, where everybody seems to outdo the other in silliness?
By Force of Impulse|Harry V. Vogt
If you insist on making women ignorant and silly, be sure their ignorance and silliness will crop out.
A New Atmosphere|Gail Hamilton
Why, there ain't anything else in all this big world that anywhere near comes up to it for silliness.
Three People|Pansy
You aint so unprofessional as to remember all that silliness against me, are you?
Ainslee's, Vol. 15, No. 5, June 1905|Various

British Dictionary definitions for silliness

silly

/ (ˈsɪlɪ) /

adjective -lier or -liest

lacking in good sense; absurd

frivolous, trivial, or superficial

feeble-minded

dazed, as from a blow

obsolete homely or humble

noun

(modifier) cricket (of a fielding position) near the batsman's wicketsilly mid-on

Also called: silly-billy plural -lies informal a foolish person

Derived Forms

silliness, noun

Word Origin for silly

C15 (in the sense: pitiable, hence the later senses: foolish): from Old English sǣlig (unattested) happy, from sǣl happiness; related to Gothic sēls good

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

silly

adjective, sil·li·er, sil·li·est.

noun, plural sil·lies.

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of silly

SYNONYMS FOR silly

ANTONYMS FOR silly

Related forms

Examples from the Web for silliness

British Dictionary definitions for silliness

silly

adjective -lier or -liest

noun

Derived Forms

Word Origin for silly