silly
ˈsɪli
silliersilliessilliest
Definition Synonyms

Definition of silly - Reverso English Dictionary

Related topics:

Adjective

1.
foolishlacking in common sense or intelligence
  • He made a silly mistake during the presentation..
absurd foolish ridiculous
2.
behaviorfrivolous or trivial
  • She made a silly comment during the meeting.
foolish frivolous trivial
3.
humorlaughable or amusing through foolishness
  • That was a silly mistake to make.
absurd foolish ridiculous
4.
absurdabsurdly large or unreasonable
  • The price of that car is just silly.
preposterous ridiculous

Noun

1.
term of addressUKterm of endearment or gentle teasingUK
  • Oh, you silly, you forgot your keys again.
darling dear sweetie
2.
foolish personRareperson who acts foolishly or makes mistakesRare
  • Don't be such a silly, it's just a game.
fool simpleton
Add a suggestion |

Expressions with silly

💡 Discover popular phrases, idioms, collocations, or phrasal verbs. Click any expression to learn more, listen to its pronunciation, or save it to your favorites.
hit someone hard causing disorientation
The boxer knocked his opponent silly with a punch.
ridiculously large sum of money
He sold his car for silly money.
period in summer with only trivial or bizarre news
During the silly season, newspapers publish odd stories.
make someone extremely bored
The lecture on ancient pottery bored me silly.
consume alcohol excessively until losing normal faculties
He would drink himself silly every weekend.
scare someone extremely, leaving them shocked or confused
The horror movie frightened her silly.

Origin of silly

Old English, gesælig (happy)

Terms with silly included in their meaning

💡 A powerful way to uncover related words, idioms, and expressions linked by the same idea — and explore meaning beyond exact word matches.
circus
performer in a circus who entertains by acting silly
light laugh
laugh lightly in a silly, nervous, or childlike way
foolish person
someone who behaves in a silly or foolish way
playfulness
act in a silly or playful way without seriousness
communication
untrue or silly statement
behavior
extremely silly or unreasonable
fooling
acting in a silly or playful way
funny
looking or acting silly or playful like a clown

Examples of silly in a sentence

  • It's silly to argue over such trivial matters.
  • He wore a silly hat to the party.
  • The movie was full of silly jokes.
  • His silly antics always make us laugh.
  • Wearing mismatched socks was a silly choice.
  • His silly demands made everyone laugh.

View all translations of silly

Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:bête, petit coquin, ...
  2. German:dumm, Dummerchen, ...
  3. Italian:stupido, sciocchino, ...
  4. Spanish:tonto, tontito, ...
  5. Portuguese:tolo, trapalhão, ...
  6. Chinese:愚蠢的, 傻瓜, ...
  7. Japanese:愚かな, おバカさん, ...
  8. Arabic:سَخِيف, ظَرِيف, ...
  9. Hebrew:טִפְּשִׁי, טִיפְּשׁוֹן, ...
  10. Russian:глупый, глупышка, ...
  11. Ukrainian:дурний, дурненький, ...
  12. Hindi:मूर्खतापूर्ण, मूर्ख, ...
Browse the dictionary entries starting with “s”:

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery