1
as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
she was both amused and irritated by the silliness of his comments regarding the movie they has just seen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
stop this silliness at once!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lightness
a lack of seriousness often at an improper time
this inability to refrain from silliness is a distressing sign of professional immaturity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silliness
My mom’s silliness, her humanness, her imperfections seemed to disappear in the process of repeatedly writing about her struggles.
—
Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Audiences can take in two shows, with lots of silliness and some heart.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Various clips are making the rounds on social media where Chiefs fans are enjoying seeing Jones’ latest silliness.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
This time round, though, an unfortunate silliness sometimes creeps in, where the film risks tipping over Shakespearean-size emotions into embarrassing bathos.
—Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
As Mozart, Sam Clemmett is wonderful, carefully navigating the silliness and sullenness of a character who’s been drawn as part boy, part man.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Slater is a virtuosic physical actor, and his evocation of the mime’s precision, silliness, and grace—the elastic faces, the acrobatic tumbles, the fingers that bloom into flowers, then wilt, then bloom again — is painstaking and loving in its observance.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
There is plenty of silliness in this year’s commercials.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
The silliness betrays the seriousness.
—J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
Literary Hub, 7 Apr. 2026
Audiences can take in two shows, with lots of silliness and some heart.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2026
Various clips are making the rounds on social media where Chiefs fans are enjoying seeing Jones’ latest silliness.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026
This time round, though, an unfortunate silliness sometimes creeps in, where the film risks tipping over Shakespearean-size emotions into embarrassing bathos.
—Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2026
As Mozart, Sam Clemmett is wonderful, carefully navigating the silliness and sullenness of a character who’s been drawn as part boy, part man.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
Slater is a virtuosic physical actor, and his evocation of the mime’s precision, silliness, and grace—the elastic faces, the acrobatic tumbles, the fingers that bloom into flowers, then wilt, then bloom again — is painstaking and loving in its observance.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2026
There is plenty of silliness in this year’s commercials.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
The silliness betrays the seriousness.
—J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silliness
Noun
-
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.—
Mary Ramsey
April 8,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
-
Clancy will be undergoing a forensic psychological evaluation later this week after Reddington informed the court of her intention to plead not guilty by reason of insanity at trial.—
Chris Spargo,
PEOPLE,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With Sporting well aware of their underdog status and Arsenal feeling fragile after successive defeats, all of this respect nonsense led to, frankly, a dog of a game that felt like anything but a Champions League quarter-final.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
-
And thus one of the more wholesome and fun events in the White House calendar was besmirched by a man who simply cannot stop with the zero-sum partisan nonsense even when surrounded by impressionable young faces.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Amon and her actors find many moments of visual humor with dancing and audience interaction that bring a lot of life and lightness to the play.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Are laughter and lightness merely opiates, or tools of the revolution, or both, or neither?—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The UConn men and women have created countless memories through the madness of March and onto the championships won in April.—
Kels Dayton,
Hartford Courant,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Monthly records for the state go back to 1895, so experts know there's a lot to March's madness.—
Alan Gionet,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
If not for the stupidity of Joe Biden and the Democrats, ICE would have an easier job.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Smart, skilled, hardworking people gracefully put up with all manner of tragedy, stupidity, and institutional rot.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
What wasn't hidden was their apparent glee.—
Peter Van Sant,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
But that he – along with fellow Pittsburgher Wiz Khalifa and country star Kane Brown – has been tapped to perform during the 2026 NFL Draft in his hometown has the gregarious rocker vibrating with glee.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Their simplicity in dress masks their tremendous success.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
-
On one hand, there’s a simplicity to the song, and yet there’s a lot of complex things going on behind it.—
Steve Appleford,
SPIN,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, think high-protein and filling breakfast filled with fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, healthy fats, along with herbs and spices like ginger and turmeric (all of which are anti-inflammatory).—
Siya Bhambwani,
Vogue,
6 Apr. 2026
-
To be fair, Dylan is also engaging in some territorial behaviors, like chuckling about Greg’s affinity for nuts and lightly putting a hand on his arm, so keep an eye on that space.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Silliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silliness. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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