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noun

Synonym Chooser

How is the word silly different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of silly are asinine, fatuous, foolish, and simple. While all these words mean "actually or apparently deficient in intelligence," silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.

the silly antics of revelers

In what contexts can asinine take the place of silly?

In some situations, the words asinine and silly are roughly equivalent. However, asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.

an asinine plot

When is it sensible to use fatuous instead of silly?

Although the words fatuous and silly have much in common, fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.

fatuous conspiracy theories

When could foolish be used to replace silly?

The words foolish and silly can be used in similar contexts, but foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.

foolish stunts

When would simple be a good substitute for silly?

The words simple and silly are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.

considered people simple who had trouble with computers

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
Adjective
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
Noun
Light, silly, and satirical, knowing your genre tropes makes for an even better viewing experience. Gwen Ihnat, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025 In the first song on this more than 29-minute playlist, JJ and his friends don skeleton costumes and create a silly dance in the living room. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for silly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silly
Adjective
  • The accompanying video, directed by Charlotte Rutherford, fittingly harkens back to videos of the same era, as Puth embarks on a goofy adventure through a pre-digital world filled with charming claymation figurines and old-school stop motion effects.
    Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Simpson has been sharp ever since that Week 1 loss at Florida State, which now looks even goofier.
    Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But, God, to be able to play a Pablo Escobar who was just petty and wanted friends, there was something so stupid and so hilarious about that to me.
    Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Keaton continued to play oddballs with a peculiar way of talking, though none were trivial or stupid.
    Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Sketch ridiculous inventions, stage a mini talent show, or build something with whatever's at hand.
    Cas Holman, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Is anyone resisting this ridiculous trend?
    Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Wounded and bewildered, Theresa vows—silently—never to have that feeling again, never to be at anyone else’s mercy.
    Hilton Als, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
  • As Friday’s stabbing incident involving NFL alum Mark Sanchez slowly comes into focus, the team at Fox Sports seems to be just as bewildered as the rest of us.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2025
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
  • Apple’s stock is giddier than an 11-year-old who just strong-armed their parents into buying them a smartphone.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2025
  • Others just get giddy having a green light to upend society’s rules of decorum, even for a short window of time.
    John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Misiorowski had made Edman look foolish in their first matchup, getting the infielder to swing through a wicked curveball.
    Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Orús and Lizaso believe that the AI arms race is foolish.
    Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • This would be an absurd show of force, and totally uncalled for during a government shutdown when members of the military cannot even get a paycheck.
    Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 16 Oct. 2025
  • Knightley and Pearce coast and their characters never come alive and resort to doing silly things at this misfire’s absurd, regrettable finale.
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 16 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.

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