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
What really makes Dog Man special, though, is how Pilkey’s trademark mix of absurd silliness and surprising sincerity shines through.
—
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Winston’s in danger of being crushed by the system, not just a few popular-kid sociopaths, and the unassuming nature of Dinklage’s performance gives the character a stubborn dignity amid all the silliness and prosthetics.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
But there are deeper points being made under the cover of silliness, like incisive commentary about how Western Europe views its eastern neighbours.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 23 Aug. 2025
That saccharine silliness juxtaposed with the heady themes of the plot are part of the DNA of the franchise throughout all entries and would follow Kojima to his current work on Death Stranding.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
The Girlfriends star is already known for her aspirational life approach, charismatic silliness and all-around majestic aura, but there was something very special about seeing Ross share her solo travel so intimately.
—Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 20 Aug. 2025
There’s that sense of play and silliness.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
Whether taking on fraught issues (cultural appropriation, misinformation) or reuniting 21-year-old Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon) with his childhood crush Connie (Lauren Tom), King of the Hill delivers laughs with its signature blend of insight, sly humor, and silliness.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Winston’s in danger of being crushed by the system, not just a few popular-kid sociopaths, and the unassuming nature of Dinklage’s performance gives the character a stubborn dignity amid all the silliness and prosthetics.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
But there are deeper points being made under the cover of silliness, like incisive commentary about how Western Europe views its eastern neighbours.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 23 Aug. 2025
That saccharine silliness juxtaposed with the heady themes of the plot are part of the DNA of the franchise throughout all entries and would follow Kojima to his current work on Death Stranding.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
The Girlfriends star is already known for her aspirational life approach, charismatic silliness and all-around majestic aura, but there was something very special about seeing Ross share her solo travel so intimately.
—Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 20 Aug. 2025
There’s that sense of play and silliness.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
Whether taking on fraught issues (cultural appropriation, misinformation) or reuniting 21-year-old Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon) with his childhood crush Connie (Lauren Tom), King of the Hill delivers laughs with its signature blend of insight, sly humor, and silliness.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silliness
Noun
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More Sargent/Getty Images The sheer insanity of how fast the ball got out of the ballpark captivated a worldwide audience.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
With the ambulance only eight minutes away from Hind, Omar sees only insanity in the way the situation stretches into an hours-long ordeal.—
Sheri Linden,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This smacks of fake tough guy nonsense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
6 Sep. 2025
-
And then a lot of nonsense, which comes with the script.—
Jim Harrington,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The unique construction of the YH-C3000 strikes a balance between lightness, rigidity and internal damping.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Olga Tokarczuk also has this lightness to her.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
6 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
And a bit of Saturday madness, granted most of that came 400 miles away.—
Steve Millar,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Sep. 2025
-
There is a method to the madness, multiple sources say.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
That’s off-the-scale stupidity.—
Jason Mastrodonato,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
-
So in the midst of poverty imposed by the American embargo and the frequent stupidity of their own government, Cubans struggle to eke out a life.—
Charles Hammer,
Kansas City Star,
27 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The late Tom Wolfe, rubbing his hands with glee and spilling lemonade on his white suit, would be delighted that tradition has now taken its revenge on stuffy Bauhaus Europeanism, and maybe rightly so.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Or wait, is that an actual expression of glee?—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Was one of Forest’s virtues last season their relative simplicity, which will now be disrupted?—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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For now, the company is betting that simplicity will appeal to customers.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Rather, the Mediterranean diet simply underscores that the majority of your plate consists of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, Goldstein says.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Don’t want nuts but still want the crunch?—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silliness. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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