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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of silly
Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The low-fi practical effects and erotic hijinks hit just the right tone of silly and sentimental.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for silly
Adjective
Panarin was always willing to poke fun at himself or make silly gestures to help the locker room feel looser.
—Vincent Z. Mercogliano, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
The low-fi practical effects and erotic hijinks hit just the right tone of silly and sentimental.
—Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for silly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silly
Adjective
-
Banana Phone Song One of my favorite things about toddlers is their willingness to be goofy.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Sabrina Carpenter’s song about guys being goofy and Bad Bunny’s single about wishing to be more present in fleeting moments might’ve been more pertinent to a rough last year animated by masculine aggression.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Being able to be in a room full of comedians being stupid and funny like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Republican primary voters who do stupid things and vote for candidates with no chance of winning suffer the consequences.—
Kevin Igoe,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Because that's f---ing ridiculous.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Feb. 2026
-
By now, Americans have gone numb to the ridiculous statements of the president of the United States.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Olivier tried successfully to get the reader to understand how a gentle, pacific young man could come to kill more than a thousand people, and so capturing the tone and empathetic portrayal not only of Simo Häyhä and his colleagues but also of the often-bewildered Russian soldiers was essential.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The usually positive Gauff went negative, lacked energy and seemed bewildered and overwhelmed.—
Merlisa Lawrence Corbett,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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
-
As Dracula, Jones is giddy and joyous with flecks of depravity bursting through as the plot expands to include his ethereal bond with Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray (also Bleu).—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Wishing you a week of dulcet tones, giddy resistance, and a thousand pancakes.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Counting on one of the league’s most expensive talents to play meaningful minutes from here on out at his age with a track record like that is nearly as foolish as Nico trading a perennial MVP candidate at 26.—
Kevin Sherrington
Feb. 4,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The lesson isn’t that NBA teams are reckless or foolish.—
Spencer Harrison,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Sentimental music, runaway kegs and brutally honest humor collide, making Bud Light’s Super Bowl moment feel effortless, absurd and perfectly timed.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Mike begins to struggle with the idea of doing something that might finally give his life (and his death) meaning, and although the film goes in absurd directions, Gavras sells it by pitching everything at the level of epic satire, his grandiose images working in tandem with moments of broad humor.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
