1
as in goofy
lacking in seriousness or maturity
the matinee show was filled with a bunch of silly children making noise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stupid
showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment
those silly movie producers who thought that audiences would fall for that gimmick all over again
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ridiculous
so foolish or pointless as to be worthy of scornful laughter
had the silly notion that her latest marriage might last longer than her three previous ones
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bewildered
suffering from mental confusion
stunning news that knocked me silly
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in simpleton
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of silly
Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
The answer to that question is, obviously, of course no, don’t be silly.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Ego Nwodim, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
Some more sillies from last night’s GRAMMY nominees reception.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silly
Adjective
But at the same time, many crypto executives and investors are holding their nose and looking the other way whenever Trump embraces some of the silly (at times scammy) elements of crypto-land.
—Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
The answer to that question is, obviously, of course no, don’t be silly.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Noun
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
Some more sillies from last night’s GRAMMY nominees reception.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silly
Adjective
-
Fred looked, well, a little goofy and the explosion wasn't nearly as impressive.—
Joe Salas
June 07,
New Atlas,
7 June 2025
-
Primus specialize in bass-heavy, off-kilter rock with a goofy sense of humor.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
This is just stupid how successful this is, but that’s really underselling it.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 May 2025
-
Camp, stupid, joyful—to both own and access—Labubu has taken over.—
Lara Johnson-Wheeler,
Vogue,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
For the purpose of the art of the deal, the threat of a universal tariff, currently at 10% but hypothetically due to rebound to the ridiculous reciprocal rates of 30% or 40% on key allies at the end of the 90-day pause in July, is a compelling one.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2025
-
What’s even harder to believe is the ridiculous verse Wayne tees it off with.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
But Evander Kane banked a puck off Esa Lindell’s skate and past a bewildered DeSmith less than three minutes later to restore the two-goal lead.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
30 May 2025
-
Comments Jeffrey Dean Morgan was baffled, bewildered, and befuddled.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
23 May 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
-
Americans, even or especially historians, tend to treat the early New Englanders as dogmatists: narrow, pious simpletons.—
Marilynne Robinson,
Harper's Magazine,
1 July 2022
Adjective
-
Castillo’s short novel is a giddy character study of an unpleasant young male type.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
-
Attendees had the chance to film themselves posing against the canola field backdrop from When Life Gives You Tangerines or jumping high into the air like a giddy Thanos with the aid of a Squid Game trampoline.—
Regina Kim,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
To write off the Israeli leader would be foolish, especially with new elections not required until late 2026.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
-
His writing is so human—his people are foolish in such human ways.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
There’s the undercurrent of politics stirring animus between the neighbors, with Canadians angered by President Donald Trump’s tariffs and his absurd aside saying perhaps Canada should be the 51st U.S. state.—
Greg Cote,
Miami Herald,
5 June 2025
-
The concept itself is absurd, given the modest park features.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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