sillier; silliest
1
2
: being stunned or dazed
scared silly
knocked me silly
3
1
informal
: to an extreme degree
was scared silly
bored silly
2
: in a silly manner : in an absurd or ridiculous way
talking/behaving silly
Benny Hill just walked silly, period, usually at high speed, to the accompaniment of cheesy pop music …—
Charles Isherwood
Charles Isherwood
plural sillies
: one who is silly : a foolish person
"But there," she told herself, "I am very likely a silly—meeting trouble half-way."—D. H. Lawrence
D. H. Lawrence"Well then, silly, why not stay!"—Edna Ferber
Edna Ferber"And who, then? Oh, the long line of sillies, light-weights, rakes, ne'er-do-wells, who … constituted society."—Theodore Dreiser
Theodore DreiserWhen the narrator describes women directly they seem … innately either sentimental sillies … or … pious hypocrites.—Myra Jehlen
Myra JehlenSynonyms
Examples of silly in a Sentence
Adjective
I hope I didn't make any silly mistakes.
The idea does seem a bit silly.
That's the silliest thing I've ever heard.
You drove in this weather? What a silly thing to do!
Silly me. I locked myself out of the car again.
Ask a silly question, and you get a silly answer.
“I can't ask you to do that.” “Don't be silly. It is my pleasure.”
What a silly little purse. It looks too small to hold everything that I'd need to carry.
I'm tired of watching silly movies.
The book was a silly waste of time.
Recent Examples on the WebThomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Simply put, the idea that online dating is ruining the dating experience or has somehow been so commodified that it can’t be saved is silly.
—Bernard Kim, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
In New Empire, Hall again shares the screen with giant CGI monsters, which can make for silly moments on set.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
But its charm is in taking a very silly subject ― cakes that look like sneakers ― and treating it super seriously.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Through a silly slideshow, groups of friends get to know each other’s niche interests, secret pastimes and frequently hilarious takes on their friends’ quirks and strengths.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
That will likely continue at least for as long as a production has a director as good as efficient as maintaining an unflagging energy as Kimberly Senior, who finds an effortless fluidity in navigating the play’s serious and silly moments.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2024
The tone of the music is dark and hellish mixed with silly and prankish.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 Mar. 2024
Advocates of the new legislation that passed on Wednesday have pointed out that passing a TikTok ban would be silly as long as private data brokers are still legally allowed to just sell data from U.S. users to China and Russia.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024
Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024
During hypnosis, the critical nature of the mind is bypassed and the subconscious mind is in a more suggestible state, hence why subjects act so silly and uninhibited on stage.
—Emily Latimer, Longreads, 25 Jan. 2024
Don't be afraid of looking silly or being a beginner!
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
The Tumbler, like everything else Ember makes, is a silly guilty pleasure of a device.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 14 Sep. 2023
Rocky also shared multiple other photos of the three posing for the cameras and acting silly in the mirror.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 June 2023
Any worker that’s going to throw a selfish, silly fit over something that keeps their bosses — that’s us — safe deserves the dismissal that’s coming their way.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2021
Caring about something so silly felt good.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired, 22 Dec. 2020
On the other hand, silly dare ideas are bound to provide endless laughter while tightening your bond.
—Leah Campano, Seventeen, 23 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Marie: Sondheim gives you so much room to just be silly and have an imagination.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Simply put, the idea that online dating is ruining the dating experience or has somehow been so commodified that it can’t be saved is silly.
—Bernard Kim, Fortune, 3 Apr. 2024
In New Empire, Hall again shares the screen with giant CGI monsters, which can make for silly moments on set.
—Benjamin Vanhoose, Peoplemag, 29 Mar. 2024
But its charm is in taking a very silly subject ― cakes that look like sneakers ― and treating it super seriously.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
Through a silly slideshow, groups of friends get to know each other’s niche interests, secret pastimes and frequently hilarious takes on their friends’ quirks and strengths.
—Scottie Andrew, CNN, 25 Mar. 2024
That will likely continue at least for as long as a production has a director as good as efficient as maintaining an unflagging energy as Kimberly Senior, who finds an effortless fluidity in navigating the play’s serious and silly moments.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Mar. 2024
The tone of the music is dark and hellish mixed with silly and prankish.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 22 Mar. 2024
Advocates of the new legislation that passed on Wednesday have pointed out that passing a TikTok ban would be silly as long as private data brokers are still legally allowed to just sell data from U.S. users to China and Russia.
—Matt Novak / Gizmodo, Quartz, 22 Mar. 2024
Adverb
Don’t be afraid of looking silly or being a beginner!
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 28 Jan. 2024
During hypnosis, the critical nature of the mind is bypassed and the subconscious mind is in a more suggestible state, hence why subjects act so silly and uninhibited on stage.
—Emily Latimer, Longreads, 25 Jan. 2024
Don't be afraid of looking silly or being a beginner!
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 28 Jan. 2024
The Tumbler, like everything else Ember makes, is a silly guilty pleasure of a device.
—David Pierce, The Verge, 14 Sep. 2023
Rocky also shared multiple other photos of the three posing for the cameras and acting silly in the mirror.
—Hannah Sacks, Peoplemag, 1 June 2023
Any worker that’s going to throw a selfish, silly fit over something that keeps their bosses — that’s us — safe deserves the dismissal that’s coming their way.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2021
Caring about something so silly felt good.
—Kate Knibbs, Wired, 22 Dec. 2020
On the other hand, silly dare ideas are bound to provide endless laughter while tightening your bond.
—Leah Campano, Seventeen, 23 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'silly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near silly
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silly. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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