silly Meaning & Definition
What Does Silly Mean?
Silly is used as an adjective meaning Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance. It can also mean Absurdly large. As an adverb, it means Sillily: in a silly manner. As a noun, it means A silly person.
Silly in Brief
| Part of speech | adjective, adverb, noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɪl.i/ |
| Syllables | 2 |
| Synonyms | frivolous, giddy and zany |
| Antonyms | pious |
| Plural | sillies |
| Comparative / superlative | sillier, silliest |
Silly Definition (Adjective)
- Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance.
They were laughing at a silly joke.
- Absurdly large.
- Blessed, particularly: Good; pious. Holy.
- Good; pious.
- Holy.
- Pitiful, inspiring compassion, particularly:
Innocent; suffering undeservedly, especially as an epithet of lambs and sheep.
Helpless, defenseless.
scared silly
- Innocent; suffering undeservedly, especially as an epithet of lambs and sheep.
- Helpless, defenseless.
scared silly
- Insignificant, worthless, especially with regard to land quality.
- Weak, frail; flimsy .
- Sickly; feeble; infirm.
- Simple, plain, particularly: Rustic, homely. Lowly, of humble station.
- Rustic, homely.
- Lowly, of humble station.
- Mentally simple, foolish, particularly:
Rustic, uneducated, unlearned.
Thoughtless, lacking judgment.
silly mistake
- Rustic, uneducated, unlearned.
- Thoughtless, lacking judgment.
silly mistake
- mentally delayed or feeble.
- Stupefied, senseless; stunned or dazed.
- Very close to the batsman, facing the bowler; closer than short.
Silly as an Adverb
- Sillily: in a silly manner.
Silly as a Noun
- A silly person.
- A term of address.
- A mistake.
Adjective
- Blessed, particularly:
- Pitiful, inspiring compassion, particularly:
- Simple, plain, particularly:
- Mentally simple, foolish, particularly:
- (of a fielding position) Very close to the batsman, facing the bowler; closer than short.
Synonyms of Silly
Antonyms of Silly
Silly in a Sentence
They were laughing at a silly joke.
silly grin
scared silly
silly mistake
Word Forms & Grammar
silly (comparative sillier, superlative silliest)
silly (plural sillies)
Words That Rhyme With Silly
Origin of Silly
Origin 1: From Middle English seely, sēlī,[1] from Old English sǣliġ, ġesǣliġ (“lucky, fortunate”), from Proto-West Germanic *sālīg, from *sāli; equivalent to seel (“happiness, bliss”) + -y. Doublet of Seelie.
Origin 2: The semantic evolution is “lucky” to “innocent” to “naive” to “foolish”. Compare the similar evolution of daft (originally meaning “accommodating”), and almost the reverse with nice (originally meaning “ignorant”).
How to Pronounce Silly
You say silly as /ˈsɪl.i/. It has 2 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (sɪl).
Silly: Your Questions Answered
Is silly an adjective or an adverb?
Silly is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as an adverb and a noun.
What is another word for silly?
You can replace silly with words such as frivolous, giddy and zany. See the full list of silly synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of silly?
The opposite of silly is pious.
What is the plural of silly?
The plural of silly is sillies.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of silly?
The comparative form is sillier and the superlative form is silliest.