Silly Definition and Meaning
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Published on March 7, 2024
Silly means lacking in good sense or judgment, often in a playful or humorous way. e.g., The children made silly faces to make each other laugh.
Table of Contents
Silly Definitions
Lighthearted or playful
We had a silly time playing charades.
Absurd or ridiculous
The idea of flying cars once seemed silly.
Not serious or meaningful
They had a silly argument over who ate the last cookie.
Incapable of being taken seriously
His claim was so silly that nobody believed it.
Childishly giddy or giggly
The tickling made her silly with laughter.
Slightly or amusingly eccentric
The professor had a silly habit of misplacing his glasses.
Impertinently bold; saucy
The student gave a silly grin when caught cheating.
Having or exhibiting a lack of good judgment or common sense; foolish.
Lacking seriousness or responsibleness; frivolous
Indulged in silly word play.
Silly pet names for each other.
Semiconscious; dazed
Knocked silly by the impact.
Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance.
(of numbers, particularly prices) Absurdly large.
Blessed, particularly:
Good; pious.
Holy.
Pitiful, inspiring compassion, particularly:
Innocent; suffering undeservedly, especially as an epithet of lambs and sheep.
Helpless, defenseless.
Scared silly
Insignificant, worthless, especially with regard to land quality.
Weak, frail; flimsy use concerning people and animals is now obsolete.
Sickly; feeble; infirm.
Simple, plain, particularly:
Rustic, homely.
(obsolete) Lowly, of humble station.
Mentally simple, foolish, particularly:
(obsolete) Rustic, uneducated, unlearned.
Thoughtless, lacking judgment.
(Scottish) Mentally retarded.
Stupefied, senseless; stunned or dazed.
Very close to the batsman, facing the bowler; closer than short.
Sillily: in a silly manner.
(colloquial) A silly person.
A term of address.
(colloquial) A mistake.
Happy; fortunate; blessed.
Harmless; innocent; inoffensive.
The silly virgin strove him to withstand.
A silly, innocent hare murdered of a dog.
Weak; helpless; frail.
After long storms . . . With which my silly bark was tossed sore.
The silly buckets on the deck.
Rustic; plain; simple; humble.
A fourth man, in a sillyhabit.
All that did their silly thoughts so busy keep.
Weak in intellect; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; foolish; witless; simple; as, a silly woman.
Proceeding from want of understanding or common judgment; characterized by weakness or folly; unwise; absurd; stupid; as, silly conduct; a silly question.
A word used for misbehaving children;
Don't be a silly
Pungent adjectives of disesteem;
Gave me a cockamamie reason for not going
Wore a goofy hat
A silly idea
Some wacky plan for selling more books
Lacking seriousness; given to frivolity;
A dizzy blonde
Light-headed teenagers
Silly giggles
Inspiring scornful pity;
How silly an ardent and unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on in years
Dazed from or as if from repeated blows;
Knocked silly by the impact
Slaphappy with exhaustion
Showing a lack of wisdom or sense
It was a silly mistake to forget the keys.
Foolish or frivolous in behavior
They engaged in silly antics during the party.
Designed to be fun rather than practical
She wore a silly hat to the themed event.
Silly Snonyms
Absurd
Wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate.
The idea of living on Mars is still absurd to many.
Ridiculous
Deserving or inviting derision or mockery; absurd.
His excuse for being late was ridiculous.
Zany
Amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic.
The play was full of zany characters.
Foolish
Lacking good sense or judgment; unwise.
It was foolish to go out in the storm.
Inane
Silly; stupid.
They were making inane comments about the movie.
Frivolous
Not having any serious purpose or value.
The court dismissed the case as frivolous.
Goofy
Foolish or harmlessly eccentric.
He made a goofy face to make the children laugh.
Daffy
Silly in a confused way; eccentric.
Her daffy sense of humor endeared her to her friends.
Wacky
Funny or amusing in a slightly odd or peculiar way.
She has some wacky ideas about life.
Giddy
Excitable and frivolous.
They were giddy with excitement about the trip.
Silly Idioms & Phrases
Scared silly
Extremely frightened.
The haunted house scared the kids silly.
Silly billy
A term used to describe someone who is acting foolishly.
Don't be such a silly billy; that's not how you do it.
Silly talk
Nonsensical or foolish conversation.
Let's stop the silly talk and get to the point.
Silly season
A period, usually in summer, when the news media often focus on trivial or frivolous matters.
The newspapers are full of celebrity gossip during the silly season.
Laugh oneself silly
To laugh extremely hard and for a long time.
The comedian had us laughing ourselves silly.
Knock the silly out of someone
To beat or attack someone severely.
He threatened to knock the silly out of anyone who crossed him.
Silly as a goose
Very foolish or silly.
Running around in the rain, he looked as silly as a goose.
Act the silly buggers
To behave in a foolish or annoying way.
The kids were acting the silly buggers all afternoon.
Silly money
An absurd amount of money, often more than something is worth.
They're asking for silly money for that old car.
Silly with excitement
Overwhelmed with excitement to the point of acting foolishly.
The children were silly with excitement the night before the trip.
Get one's silly on
To engage in fun and foolish behavior.
It's the weekend, time to get our silly on!
Fit of the sillies
A sudden outburst of playful or foolish behavior.
The kids got a fit of the sillies just before bedtime.
Drive someone silly
To annoy or frustrate someone greatly.
The constant noise is driving me silly.
Silly me
An expression used to acknowledge one's own foolishness or oversight.
I forgot the tickets at home, silly me!
Play silly games, win silly prizes
A warning that foolish actions lead to equally foolish consequences.
He cheated on the test and got caught; play silly games, win silly prizes.
Silly string
A type of aerosol string used for playful purposes.
The party was filled with laughter and silly string.
Silly hat day
A playful event where participants wear humorous or unusual hats.
Everyone looked forward to silly hat day at school.
Go silly over something
To become excessively enthusiastic or excited about something.
She went silly over the latest fashion trends.
Silly as a two-headed coin
Obviously foolish or illogical.
That conspiracy theory is as silly as a two-headed coin.
Silly season in politics
A time when politicians or governments make frivolous decisions or statements.
It must be the silly season in politics with all these bizarre policy announcements.
Silly Example Sentences
She often tells silly jokes to cheer up her friends.
That's a silly reason to be upset.
The movie's plot was too silly to be believable.
It's silly to worry about things you can't control.
I can't believe I made such a silly mistake.
Don't waste time on silly distractions.
They spent the afternoon making silly videos.
He felt silly wearing the costume.
The children's silly laughter filled the room.
She sent him a silly emoji in the text.
Their playful puppy is always doing something silly.
The silly song became unexpectedly popular.
The game involves a lot of silly challenges.
They exchanged silly gifts as part of their tradition.
Wearing mismatched socks was a silly fashion statement.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called silly?
It's called silly from the Old English 'sælig', meaning fortunate, which evolved to mean innocent, and then to lack wisdom or good judgment.
How many syllables are in silly?
There are two syllables in silly.
How do we divide silly into syllables?
Silly is divided into syllables as sil-ly.
What is the verb form of silly?
Silly is primarily an adjective; it does not have a conventional verb form.
What is the pronunciation of silly?
Silly is pronounced as /ˈsɪli/.
What is the root word of silly?
The root of silly is the Old English word 'sælig', meaning happy or lucky, which evolved in meaning over time.
What is a stressed syllable in silly?
The stressed syllable in silly is the first one, -sil-.
How is silly used in a sentence?
Silly is used to describe actions or ideas lacking seriousness or sense, e.g., Don't waste your time on silly things.
What is another term for silly?
Another term for silly is foolish.
What is the opposite of silly?
The opposite of silly could be sensible or wise.
Is silly a noun or adjective?
Silly is an adjective.
Is the word silly imperative?
Silly cannot be used in the imperative form as it is not a verb.
Is silly an adverb?
No, silly is not an adverb.
Is silly a countable noun?
Silly is not a noun; it's an adjective.
Is the word “silly” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
Silly, being an adjective, cannot serve as a direct or indirect object but can describe them.
What is the singular form of silly?
Silly does not have a singular or plural form; it remains the same as it is an adjective.
Is silly an abstract noun?
No, silly is an adjective, not a noun.
Is silly a vowel or consonant?
The word silly starts with a consonant.
Is silly a collective noun?
No, silly is not a collective noun; it is an adjective.
Is the word silly Gerund?
Silly does not have a gerund form as it is not a verb.
Which determiner is used with silly?
Determiners such as "a," "the," or possessive pronouns can be used with nouns modified by silly, e.g., "a silly idea."
Which vowel is used before silly?
The vowel "a" can be used before silly when it functions as an adjective, e.g., "a silly mistake."
Which preposition is used with silly?
Prepositions like "about" or "over" can be used with silly, depending on the context, e.g., "silly about something" or "silly over nothing."
Which conjunction is used with silly?
Conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used with silly to connect ideas, e.g., "silly and fun" or "silly but harmless."
Which article is used with silly?
The indefinite article "a" is used with silly when it functions as an adjective, e.g., "a silly notion."
What part of speech is silly?
Silly is an adjective.
What is the plural form of silly?
Silly does not have a plural form as it is an adjective.
Is silly a negative or positive word?
Silly is generally considered negative when referring to lack of judgment, but it can be positive or neutral in playful contexts.
Is the silly term a metaphor?
Silly can be used metaphorically to describe something as foolish or nonsensical.
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Humble Definition and MeaningAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
