Synonyms of silliness

silliness

noun

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

• insanity
• madness
• simplicity
• absurdity
• craziness
• wackiness
• zaniness
• daftness
• foolishness
• fatuousness
• preposterousness
• inanity
• nuttiness
• unwisdom
• lunacy
• dottiness
• imbecility
• witlessness
• stupidness
• asininity
• brainlessness
• nonsensicalness
• folly
• idiocy
• stupidity
• fatuity
• senselessness
• balminess
• ridiculousness
• obtuseness
• dullness
• slowness
• simpleness
• irrationality
• dumbness
• mindlessness
• unreasonableness
• dippiness
• feeblemindedness
• dopiness
• simplemindedness
• oafishness
• denseness
• kookiness
• weirdness
• doltishness
• ludicrousness
• fallacy
• vacuity
• gormlessness
• dim-wittedness
• laughableness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• wisdom
• sanity
• prudence
• sagacity
• soundness
• validity
• rationality
• reasonableness
• sapience
• sensibleness
• logicality
• reasonability
• insight
• perception
• sagaciousness
• discernment
• sageness
• logicalness
• rationalness
• percipience

2

as in nonsense

language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense

stop this silliness at once!

Synonyms & Similar Words

• nonsense
• stupidity
• nuts
• garbage
• absurdity
• blah
• craziness
• rubbish
• drool
• absurdness
• foolishness
• insanity
• jazz
• muck
• madness
• bunk
• hokum
• twaddle
• claptrap
• balderdash
• guff
• piffle
• humbuggery
• hogwash
• trash
• baloney
• malarkey
• bunkum
• beans
• trumpery
• poppycock
• punk
• folderol
• rot
• blither
• flapdoodle
• hooey
• blather
• bilge
• tosh
• fudge
• fiddle
• idiocy
• tommyrot
• fiddlesticks
• folly
• bull
• drivel
• crock
• senselessness
• bosh
• blatherskite
• codswallop
• hokeypokey
• blarney
• crapola
• nerts
• kookiness
• humbug
• fiddle-faddle
• applesauce
• horsefeathers
• taradiddle
• inanity
• hoodoo
• tomfoolery
• moonshine
• lunacy
• flannel
• imbecility
• foolery
• asininity
• slush
• witlessness
• fatuity
• rigmarole
• inaneness
• gas
• greek
• monkey business
• hocus-pocus
• hot air
• shenanigan(s)
• double-talk
• hoity-toity
• monkeyshine(s)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• rationality
• reasonableness
• sense
• common sense
• sensibleness
• reasonability
• levelheadedness
• wisdom
• judgment
• horse sense
• discernment

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

• lightness
• glee
• cheerfulness
• frivolity
• levity
• flippancy
• frivolousness
• facetiousness
• cheer
• festivity
• goofiness
• childishness
• mirth
• hilarity
• flightiness
• lightheartedness
• joviality
• frothiness
• merriment
• light-headedness
• light-mindedness
• mirthfulness
• gaiety
• gleefulness
• puerility
• high-spiritedness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• seriousness
• gravity
• earnestness
• solemnity
• soberness
• sadness
• melancholy
• unhappiness
• gloom
• solemnness
• depression
• dejection
• sullenness
• gloominess
• moroseness
• despondency
• joylessness
• heartsickness
• dispiritedness
• downheartedness
• mopes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of silliness

Fans enjoy her silliness and willingness to discuss important issues. — Mitch Sherman, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

Some of the mayhem devolves into silliness, including a foot chase through Red Square (doubled by Budapest’s Heroes’ Square abetted with digital effects) and a vehicular chase in which Nick and Troy drive a nuclear missile launcher. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026

Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which was directed by Robert Zemeckis with animation overseen by Richard Williams, takes every aspect of itself, even the zany silliness of cartoons, completely seriously, while never losing sight of the fun. — James Grebey, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Despite the silliness, the episode does feature some very emotional moments for Spock. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026

Yet despite this unease, they are also shown with occasional silliness and wit, as well as an unexpected strength to their paradoxically porcelain-like bodies. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Back on the main stage, Mumford also stripped away the silliness and sarcasm. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 10 Aug. 2026

Pritzker can do nothing about much of the electorate’s seemingly insatiable thirst for silliness. — Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Often derided by critics during its initial airing, the show’s silliness and lightheartedness has continued to stand the test of time. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 5 Aug. 2026