silly — showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈsɪli/
Example Sentences
- I felt silly wearing a tuxedo to a McDonald's date.
- Don't be silly - cats can't actually use smartphones!
- It's silly to argue about which pizza topping is the best.
silly
ADJECTIVE[/ˈsɪli/]
showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish
showing a lack of common sense or judgment; absurd and foolish
Silly Billy climbs the hilly trail!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Middle English 'seely', originally meaning 'happy' or 'blessed' with positive connotations. Over time, the meaning gradually shifted through 'innocent' and 'simple' to the modern sense of 'foolish' or 'lacking good sense'.
Breakdown
seely (blessed, happy) → silly (foolish). The semantic shift reflects a historical progression where innocence and simplicity became associated with naiveté and lack of judgment.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“I felt silly wearing a tuxedo to a McDonald's date.”
“Don't be silly - cats can't actually use smartphones!”
“It's silly to argue about which pizza topping is the best.”
“She gave a silly grin when she realized she was wearing mismatched socks.”
📚Related Words
Antonyms
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