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
Ego Nwodim, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
Some more sillies from last night’s GRAMMY nominees reception.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025
That might seem like a silly thing to insinuate — that a team would be in a seemingly hopeless situation with six innings to play in a tie game.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silly
Adjective
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
Some more sillies from last night’s GRAMMY nominees reception.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Noun
At first, the snowman is part of the couple’s silly, intimate games, but eventually becomes a third wheel, resulting in homicidal rage and the love montage descending into something more akin to a horror movie.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 4 Aug. 2025
That might seem like a silly thing to insinuate — that a team would be in a seemingly hopeless situation with six innings to play in a tie game.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silly
Adjective
-
About six months later, the Parker family — including Bernedoodle Ben, the household boss; and Toby, the energetic and goofy chocolate Labrador — moved into their new home.—
Lennie Omalza,
The Courier-Journal,
1 Aug. 2025
-
His sweetness and sensitivity are nowhere to be found in his goofy, charmless performance.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
No Broward program can possibly be as wasteful and downright stupid as the Office of Election Crimes and Security (OECS).—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
9 Aug. 2025
-
On the other side of the ledger, Jaguar did a stupid, and seriously WOKE advertisement, THAT IS A TOTAL DISASTER!—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
These movies are brilliantly written, but above all will do anything to get a laugh, no matter how silly, how absurd, how ridiculous — how stupid.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The video wraps with a ridiculous post-credits scene from the wedding reception, featuring Sheeran in a full wedding dress, totally committed to the waltz choreography.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Olivia, bewildered and frightened, runs to the vast body of Tierra del Fuego to look for him.—
Jason Liwag,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Whites, bewildered and self-righteous, would find their way to Reagan.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 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
-
Americans, even or especially historians, tend to treat the early New Englanders as dogmatists: narrow, pious simpletons.—
Marilynne Robinson,
Harper's Magazine,
1 July 2022
Adjective
-
The girls are giddy; excited about their adventure.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
4 Aug. 2025
-
The East German guards, many still in uniform but without their lethal machine guns, seemed amused, almost giddy.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
2 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This new adventure will take players to the heart of Italy where ancient legends and sinister cults promise danger to anyone brave or foolish enough to dig deeper.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
With the season on the line as the Bronx Bombers now sit in third place in the American League East division, Aaron Boone would be foolish to not pull Williams from the closer role for the second time this season and hand it over to David Bednar.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Interestingly, the Vance memes were far more surreal and absurd than South Park’s caricature, which retained the simple, bloated design of the first few images.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
These movies are brilliantly written, but above all will do anything to get a laugh, no matter how silly, how absurd, how ridiculous — how stupid.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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