silliness

American  

[sil-ee-nis] / ˈsɪl i nɪs /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of silliness

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

Example Sentences

Pierson notes that the songs were more "linear and traditional" than the scattergun silliness of their earlier work.

From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026

Despite the silliness, many scientists appreciate the Ig Nobels.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

The characters’ propensity for ugly faces, silliness and a bit of grossness too, stems from the portrayals of girlhood and young womanhood that appeal to them.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

In family touch football, there’s no silliness about the receiver needing to keep both feet or one foot in bounds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

I asked her why and she said, ‘They only let you be this happy if they’re preparing to take something from you,’ and I said, ‘Hush up, now. Enough of this silliness.’

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

Related Words

• absurdity
• craziness
• foolishness
• goofiness
• stupidity