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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in simpleton
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silly
Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
That seemed a bit silly, and Bungie seems to now agree.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 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
Kandi Burruss, Ace, And Blaze Actress and singer Kandi Burruss was a part of the photo shoot gang too this Easter and shared images of herself making silly faces with her minis Ace and Blaze Tucker.
—Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
That seemed a bit silly, and Bungie seems to now agree.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 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
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Comments Since Sesame Street first began airing in 1969, children have loved it thanks to the goofy, kind, funny, affectionate Muppets—including Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and the rest of the residents of the neighborhood.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Is stuffing your face with raw greens a goofy gimmick — or a legit healthy shortcut to add more produce to your diet?—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Making stupid internet fodder has never been easier than now, with the prevalence of AI image generators making everything from deepfakes to memes.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
-
Much like the stupid prions wreaking havoc in his brain.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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But while the Gemstones themselves have embraced Kelvin and his coming out, the rest of the world — particularly rival preacher Vance Simkins (Stephen Dorff), Kelvin’s competition for the ridiculous title of Top Christ-Following Man — is more critical.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2025
-
In the video, Colbert and Cumming embody billionaires, with the lyrics taking aim at the ridiculous obsessions of the wealthy.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Apart from the odd bewildered tourist or local going about their day, the vast majority of people in the carriage were heading to what most regarded as a ‘must-win’ match at home to Everton and the vibe, like the team’s results in 2025, was mixed.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Every lap felt like a mind-numbing carousel ride through car exhaust and past bewildered pedestrians, while inhaling burrito-scented air.—
Marley Dickinson,
Outside Online,
17 Apr. 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
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The virtuoso sequence that will generate giddy excitement among enthusiasts of Evans’ earlier films is an extended bout of killing and maiming in a nightclub where techno music keeps thumping as bodies keep dropping.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
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Here are the numbers that got Wall Street giddy: Revenue came in at $10.54 billion, up almost 13% YoY Operating margin hit 31.8%, up from 28.1% last year EPS grew nearly 25% And all this as the rest of tech stumbles around blaming tariffs and macro gloom.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The idea of the Nuggets claiming three more games in this series with Michael Porter Jr. scoring three points — on Denver’s first basket, no less — is foolish.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The first three days of the season took care of such foolish rookie thoughts and proved to be a humbling, but learning, experience.—
Thomas Weddle,
Outdoor Life,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Quarterly reports delayed by years would be absurd.—
Ingmar Rentzhog,
Forbes.com,
21 Apr. 2025
-
While that isn't anywhere close to of being traded 10 times, being traded in four straight seasons is quite absurd.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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