silly season

American

noun

a time of year, usually in midsummer or during a holiday period, characterized by exaggerated news stories, frivolous entertainments, outlandish publicity stunts, etc..

The new movie reminds us that the silly season is here.

silly season British

noun

a period, usually during the hot summer months, when journalists fill space reporting on frivolous events and activities

"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

Etymology

Origin of silly season

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

silly season

It isn’t quite silly season yet, but the giggles are starting.

From Barron's ● Oct. 10, 2025

The silly season in college football, that time when coaches get fired and hired, seems to never stop.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 14, 2023

“I think that fact has kind of pushed the whole silly season forward where it hasn’t really been any movements,” Rosenqvist said.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 4, 2023

Mr Blackford himself told BBC Scotland that it was "like silly season has arrived early".

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2022

The only safe way is to be just a little more particular about the acquaintances you form during the silly season than at any other time.

From Fighting the Traffic in Young Girls or, War on the White Slave Trade by Bell, Ernest A. (Ernest Albert)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023