silliness


Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
Related to silliness: sullenness

sil·ly

 (sĭl′ē)
adj. sil·li·er, sil·li·est
1. Having or exhibiting a lack of good judgment or common sense; foolish. See Synonyms at foolish.
2. Lacking seriousness or responsibleness; frivolous: indulged in silly word play; silly pet names for each other.
3. Semiconscious; dazed: knocked silly by the impact.
[Middle English seli, silli, blessed, innocent, hapless, from Old English gesælig, blessed.]
sil′li·ly (sĭl′ə-lē) adv.
sil′li·ness n.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.silliness - a ludicrous follysilliness - a ludicrous folly; "the crowd laughed at the absurdity of the clown's behavior"
fatuity, fatuousness, absurdity
folly, foolishness, unwiseness - the trait of acting stupidly or rashly
2.silliness - an impulsive scatterbrained manner
giddiness
frivolity, frivolousness - the trait of being frivolous; not serious or sensible
lightsomeness, lightness - the trait of being lighthearted and frivolous

silliness

noun
Foolish behavior:
absurdity, folly, foolery, foolishness, idiocy, imbecility, insanity, lunacy, madness, nonsense, preposterousness, senselessness, tomfoolery, zaniness.
Informal: craziness.
Translations
سَخافَه، حَماقَه
hloupost
fjolleritåbelighed
heimska
aptallıksaçmalık

silliness

[ˈsɪlɪnɪs] N (= quality) → estupidez f; (= act) → tontería f

silliness

[ˈsɪlinɪs] n → bêtise f
I don't want any silliness → Et pas de bêtises.

silliness

n → Albernheit f; no silliness while we’re out, children! → macht keine Dummheiten, wenn wir nicht da sind!

silliness

[ˈsɪlɪnɪs] n → stupidità

silly

(ˈsili) adjective
foolish; not sensible. Don't be so silly!; silly children.
ˈsilliness noun
Mentioned in ?
References in classic literature ?
Most of these books were merely stupid, though some of them added the distinction of silliness. Among them, they brought the word 'cynic' into disfavor so deep that any book bearing it was discredited in advance of publication."
View in context
The hymn must therefore be later than that date, though Terpander, according to Weir Smyth (16), may have only modified the scale of the lyre; yet while the burlesque character precludes an early date, this feature is far removed, as Allen and Sikes remark, from the silliness of the "Battle of the Frogs and Mice", so that a date in the earlier part of the sixth century is most probable.
View in context
It was the smile that did it, convicting Joan in her own eyes of the silliness of her cry and sending over her face the most amazing blush he had ever seen.
View in context
For that one moment he dropped his silliness and spoke with dignity.
View in context
And when Wordsworth remembers his own rules and keeps to them there is no glamour, and his simplicity is apt to seem to us mere silliness.
View in context
"Probably there's some new silliness about it," said Mrs.
View in context
Among the third and fourth year students there was a certain amount of going to and from the trains in couples; some carrying of heavy books up the hill by the sterner sex for their feminine schoolmates, and occasional bursts of silliness on the part of heedless and precocious girls, among whom was Huldah Meserve.
View in context
'In the pony carriage?' asked the Admiral, with the silliness of extreme surprise.
View in context
Perhaps it's pure silliness, but I feel that I can love much, give much--give all, and in return, though I don't want all, I want much--and I want much more than your money would permit you to give me.
View in context
Because his favourite wife, mother of his eldest born, had dared out of silliness of affection to violate one of his kingly tamboos, he had had her killed and had himself selfishly and religiously eaten the last of her even to the marrow of her cracked joints, sharing no morsel with his boonest of comrades.
View in context
To-night, for the first time in my life, I saw through the hollowness, the sham, the silliness of the empty pageant in which I had always played.
View in context
As to countenance--a wizened, wrinkled, sunburned face, and long, sleek locks of scanty gray hair; as to character--an incredible mixture of homely sense and sheer silliness; of a rich man's overbearing ways, and a total lack of manners; just the kind of husband who is almost entirely led by his wife, yet imagines himself to be the master; apt to domineer in trifles, and to let more important things slip past unheeded--there you have the man!
View in context

Dictionary browser ?
Full browser ?