1
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the matinee show was filled with a bunch of silly children making noise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
those silly movie producers who thought that audiences would fall for that gimmick all over again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
had the silly notion that her latest marriage might last longer than her three previous ones
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
stunning news that knocked me silly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in simpleton
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silly
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 17 Sep. 2025
It was shot in portrait because it was shot in Instagram by and for a woman who was losing her mind in quarantine and had fully let the sillies take the wheel.
—Ego Nwodim, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
The expectant mother then uploaded a quick video of Titan making a silly face and funny noises at the camera.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silly
Adjective
But no, sillies: Bradley is white, famous and pretty — no jail time for her!
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 17 Sep. 2025
It was shot in portrait because it was shot in Instagram by and for a woman who was losing her mind in quarantine and had fully let the sillies take the wheel.
—Ego Nwodim, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
Noun
One team looked sloppy, stodgy, prone to silly penalties, indifferent to tackling and mentally soft.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2025
The expectant mother then uploaded a quick video of Titan making a silly face and funny noises at the camera.
—Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silly
Adjective
-
Steven Soderbergh’s revamp of the infamous Rat Pack crime caper is far more assured than the original, which was purely a goofy lark; here, there’s actually some care given to things like character motivation and the dynamics of the central Vegas heist.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Cooper gets considerable humorous mileage out of his goofy stoner role, starting with a guffaw-inducing pratfall entrance involving an exploding carton of oat milk.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
When smart algorithms do stupid things But scratch beneath the surface, and the cracks start showing.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
8 Oct. 2025
-
America has funded the Ukrainian government, Ukrainian pensions, and Ukrainian businesses during this entire stupid war that America should have nothing to do with.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump filed a bogus lawsuit against the company that pivoted on the ridiculous claim that YouTube was a secret agent of the Biden administration.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
For those who tire of driving something ridiculous-looking on paved roads, good news!—
Sean Evans,
Robb Report,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
As Friday’s stabbing incident involving NFL alum Mark Sanchez slowly comes into focus, the team at Fox Sports seems to be just as bewildered as the rest of us.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Hair disheveled, a dazed and bewildered look in his eyes, the coach trudged into his own dressing room to regroup and get a rundown of a growing list of injuries.—
Mike Jones,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Gamble, seeing there was no way to get anywhere with the chancellor playing the simpleton, opened the floor to softball questions.—
Thomas Meaney,
Harper's Magazine,
26 Apr. 2024
-
His competition was Forrest Gump, a feel-good studio drama that located America’s soul in a sweet simpleton played by Tom Hanks.—
Michael Schulman,
Vulture,
21 Feb. 2023
Adjective
-
The crash’s giddy prequel, dramatic unfolding, and shattering aftermath—the Great Depression—has long provided compelling material for writers.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
That has Plattner in a giddy mood.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Orús and Lizaso believe that the AI arms race is foolish.—
Vivienne Walt,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The Eagles were undone by foolish penalties, including two flags that negated first downs on a potential go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter and one flag that extended a Broncos drive late in the game when the Eagles had forced a fourth down.—
Zach Berman,
New York Times,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The real start of the Chalamet/Marty Supreme press tour came Tuesday night when the actor shared an incredible and absurd five-minute promo video.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But these far-right personalities were pushing an absurd logical fallacy.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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