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
Relevance
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
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
Interested in an ode to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and silliness?
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
December 22 – January 19 The stars are calling for some silliness!
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Reporters laughed at the silliness without bitterness.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
But the adults who accompany them may also benefit from the unrelenting silliness.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
The unabashed silliness of the plot does little to dilute the entertainment value of director Juan Piquer Simón's sleazy, cheesy fever dream.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
His new film, Send Help, however, is a welcome throwback to his roots—a horror-comedy full of spirited, violent silliness.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
Dee-Ann Durbin, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2026
The silliness betrays the seriousness.
—J. Aaron Sanders, STAT, 4 Feb. 2026
Interested in an ode to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and silliness?
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
December 22 – January 19 The stars are calling for some silliness!
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
Reporters laughed at the silliness without bitterness.
—Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
But the adults who accompany them may also benefit from the unrelenting silliness.
—Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, 1 Feb. 2026
The unabashed silliness of the plot does little to dilute the entertainment value of director Juan Piquer Simón's sleazy, cheesy fever dream.
—Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Jan. 2026
His new film, Send Help, however, is a welcome throwback to his roots—a horror-comedy full of spirited, violent silliness.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silliness
Noun
-
Replacing those funds with a sales tax would be unfair and regressive while hoping that the state will come up with some other source of funding is an exercise in insanity.—
Judy Mollica,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Defense attorneys hoped to convince the jury that Gacy was not guilty by reason of insanity.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But the jumble of words coming out of Harper’s mouth is nonsense.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Aside from how much human assistance the AIs had, the vast bulk of the submissions appear to be a lot of very convincing nonsense.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Finally, don’t rinse—simply leave the product in your hair and reap the benefits of smoothness, hydration, and lightness.—
Claire West,
Parents,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Underscoring the importance of this new development, Loro Piana is unveiling a dedicated digital and print campaign focusing on the lightness of the fabrics.—
Luisa Zargani,
Footwear News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
At the surface, everything about Doug Moe — his teams, his manner, his dress sense — seemed to embody complete madness.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Only four days remain in the regular season before the madness of do-or-die season comes rolling in.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Which is much worse than plain old stupidity.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Unlike its sibling concepts of dumbness and idiocy, stupidity isn’t really a personality trait.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The director wiped away tears as she was welcomed to the stage at the Eccles with a standing ovation; the crowd continued to clap and cheer as the cast joined her with Tatum picking up his pint-sized co-star to swing her around with glee.—
Angelique Jackson,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
-
When Huskies head coach Dan Hurley called a timeout, a sellout crowd of 19,812 erupted with deafening glee.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
How Tide evo Works Tide evo was clearly developed with simplicity top of mind.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Blending simplicity and durability, additional elements include cobranded details and dual‑lace options, allowing for personalization.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Fresh fruit and maple syrup add natural sweetness, while a small amount of nuts or seeds provides crunch and satiety without the sugar overload.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
15 Feb. 2026
-
But just as there’s a difference between depicting chaos and depicting chaotically, there’s a difference between presenting theatergoers with a realistic image of mental illness and driving an audience nuts.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Silliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silliness. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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