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
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silly
Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
This is the seventh film in the Despicable Me franchise (and the third just for the adorable Minions), giving a reliable burst of silly, summer holiday chaos.
—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 1 Jan. 2026
Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 17 Sep. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for silly
Adjective
Her first mid-career survey, organized by the ICA Boston, also includes a palimpsestic architectural sculpture, a silly immersive installation, and a mesmerizing array of 225 collage-drawings on old book pages.
—Noun
But no, sillies: Bradley is white, famous and pretty — no jail time for her!
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for silly
Adjective
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Norman spoke with Mixed Asian Media about her role in the show and how playing a hard-working ballet dancer compared to her real-life goofier and more extroverted personality.—
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Ross was fairly goofy in his courtships of coaches Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton and quarterback Tom Brady.—
Adjective
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In tribute to Michael Keane’s hair-pulling on Wednesday, Cerys Jones picked through the stupidest dismissals in Premier League history.—
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To do a lot less foolish, thoughtless, stupid, idiotic things.—
Adjective
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So the firings of Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski and the Ravens’ Harbaugh have injected some juice into a Giants search that previously threatened to cast as wide and arbitrary a net as last year’s ridiculous Jets process.—
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The Olympics is a ridiculous mixture of hit-you-straight-in-the-feels origin stories and Greek god-level athletic prowess.—
Adjective
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Snook and Lacy, who display such sharp instincts in their best work, seem to have been directed to overact; cameras freeze on their exaggeratedly bewildered or angry or devastated expressions, putting exclamation points at the end of too many scenes.—
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Instead, a bewildered stranger answers the door.—
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.—
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His competition was Forrest Gump, a feel-good studio drama that located America’s soul in a sweet simpleton played by Tom Hanks.—
Adjective
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Parrish, giddy with excitement, led us into the water.—
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There would be no third consecutive title, no hoisting of the championship cup over heads, no giddy laughter or shouts of joy.—
Adjective
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To do a lot less foolish, thoughtless, stupid, idiotic things.—
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No one should be defending activists who engage in the most foolish and dangerous actions!—
Adjective
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After the first Roundtable, Survivor stalwart Rob Cesternino — perhaps clued in by Candiace’s absurd conga line ploy to get people out of the kitchen — sniffed out that a murder in plain sight could be happening.—
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Contrary to what many may think, the researchers found no correlation between a person’s level of education and their capacity to believe in absurd conspiracies.—
Cite this Entry
“Silly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silly. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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