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
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Recent Examples of silly
Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, at the Governors Ball, Best Supporting Actor winner Kieran Culkin shared a kiss with his wife Jazz Charton.
Ahead, see the silliest, wildest and starriest photos from all the Oscar afterparties.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 3 Mar. 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
Your conversation partner might proceed to talk to you about something trivial — the weather outside, the latest game, an annoyance during the morning commute or something silly the person’s dog did that morning.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 3 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, at the Governors Ball, Best Supporting Actor winner Kieran Culkin shared a kiss with his wife Jazz Charton.
Ahead, see the silliest, wildest and starriest photos from all the Oscar afterparties.
—Brendan Le, People.com, 3 Mar. 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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Plus, he’s got a natural and serious relationship to rap that makes even his goofiest songs really earnest.—
Alphonse Pierre,
Pitchfork,
7 Mar. 2025
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At one point, his girlfriend (played by Heidi Gardner) coaches him into posing using increasingly goofy directions, and Gillis delivers.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
2 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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When Luca pulls a gun on him, ordering him to drive, Spencer quickly disarms him and then slaps him for the stupid move.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
9 Mar. 2025
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Indexing gives you a better chance to ‘be less stupid.’ — Investment advisor Barry Ritholtz Those dismal statistics come to us via the latest annual SPIVA scorecard (the acronym stands for Standard and Poor’s Index vs. Active).—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Even the most ridiculous forums make their expectations known.—
Adrienne LaFrance,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2025
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With its heightened dramas, overdone Die Hard references, and ridiculous plot turns, Paradise is pretty preposterous yet asks us to consider it as a sophisticated prestige drama.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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More than a year later, the campus remains in a state of bewildered unease.—
Nathan Heller,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
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But for many bewildered observers, both explanations for Trump’s extraordinary pivot to the Kremlin seem equally misplaced.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN,
2 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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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 crowd - like at almost every cricket ground in the world when India plays - was partisan for the men in blue with giddy fans riding the emotion of every twist and turn of a gripping final.—
Tristan Lavalette,
Forbes,
10 Mar. 2025
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Even today, Leach said people are more giddy about meeting her mother than the assistant chief.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Peter, though revered as an apostle worthy of veneration, is also portrayed in the Gospels as prone to mistakes, often foolish, and sometimes outright contradictory to God’s will.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
28 Feb. 2025
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The notion that women should be flawless multitaskers, managing a perfect home and career while never showing vulnerability or weakness is not only unrealistic, but also foolish.—
Nicole Lipkin,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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With his absurd hair and larger-than-life persona, Trump is a walking meme.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
3 Mar. 2025
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And next year, and for years to come, through trauma and joy, this seemingly absurd ritual is going to be here.—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
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