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
Relevance
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
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silly
Ego Nwodim, TIME, 12 Feb. 2025
Some more sillies from last night’s GRAMMY nominees reception.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025
And the talk of any Red being and All Star is silly.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for silly
Adjective
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
Noun
Hostile or disapproving questions about a silly meme, however, would raise the bar for paranoid border defense to an absurd new level.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2025
And the talk of any Red being and All Star is silly.
—C. Trent Rosecrans, New York Times, 20 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for silly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silly
Adjective
-
Through goofy quips, energetic displays of enthusiasm, and consistent perseverance, Derek continues to push himself and his classmates toward a productive (and silly) semester of learning.—
Caroline Beck,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
-
Despite his affectionate nature and goofy charm, no one ever came to reclaim him—and no one has shown any interest in him since.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, the series seems determined to prove that age is just a number by forcing its leads, now including Choudhury and Parker, to act as if 50 is the new (and very stupid) 30.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 July 2025
-
Jurassic Park, based on the Michael Crichton best-seller, is an evolutionary joke: Man, the master of the universe, has become mere flesh, consumed by animals allegedly too stupid to survive.—
David Denby,
Vulture,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
The dances don’t settle for a twist or strut when a full-bodied vibration is possible, and Easley has a penchant for that ridiculous bobbin-head chicken dance from the ‘40s or ‘50s.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
14 July 2025
-
The administration had tried to argue that the plaintiffs had no standing given that the children were not born yet a ridiculous claim given that the effects would apply immediately at the moment of their birth.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
A couple was left bewildered after discovering an unfamiliar cat helping itself to their own pet's food in a now-viral TikTok video that has left viewers on the platform in hysterics.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
-
Officials in other places that had voted overwhelmingly for President Trump but were far from the front lines of the immigration debate were simply bewildered.—
Campbell Robertson,
New York Times,
31 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
-
For the latter, Robinson stopped singing at one point and, with deadpan delivery, suggested the only thing that helped with his mental health struggles was a Brazilian butt lift, before shaking his rear for the giddy crowd.—
jsonline.com,
jsonline.com,
4 July 2025
-
As triumphant as the album is, Kesha sounds even giddier when speaking about it.—
Jason Lipshutz,
Billboard,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Underestimating China would be a grave error, but underestimating the United States would be equally foolish.—
Damien Ma,
Foreign Affairs,
1 July 2025
-
Gi-hun himself proved a tough protagonist to root for when the show began, as a foolish gambling addict hoping to reconnect with his family but who becomes obsessed with the games anyway.—
Shirley Li,
The Atlantic,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
From the vantage point of 2025, this appears as absurd as suggesting that women’s soccer matches should be 70 minutes instead of 90, the same as in the men’s game.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
-
The French super powerhouse has taken teams part since winning the UEFA Champions League crown on May 24, outscoring its foes by an absurd 21-1 margin.—
Michael Lewis,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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