silly en · ADJ
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English seely, sēlī, from Old English sǣliġ, ġesǣliġ (“lucky, fortunate”), from Proto-West Germanic *sālīg, from *sāli; equivalent to seel (“happiness, bliss”) + -y. Doublet of Seelie. The semantic evolution is “lucky” to “innocent” to “naive” to “foolish”. Compare the similar evolution of daft (originally meaning “accommodating”), and almost the reverse with nice (originally meaning “ignorant”).
Meanings
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Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance.
They were laughing at a silly joke.
Well sir, I have a silly walk and I'd like to obtain a Government grant to help me develop it.
1970, Graham Chapman et al., Monty Python's Flying Circus, I, 183:I remember, before the Dwarf left the Queen, he followed us one day into thoſe gardens, and my Nurſe having ſet me down, he and I being cloſe together, near ſome Dwarf Apple trees, I muſt need ſhew my Wit, by a ſilly Alluſion between him and the Trees, which happens to hold in their Language as it doth in ours.
1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), pages 226–227:This is the silliest stuffe, that euer I heard.
c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], line 209:silly grin
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(of numbers, qualifier:particularly prices) Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance. ▸ Absurdly large.
He cannot achieve celebrity by covering himself with diamonds... or by giving a silly price for a hack.
1875 June 26, Saturday Review, 815/2
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(Scotland, obsolete) Blessed ▸ Good; pious.
The sylyman lay and herde, / And hys wyf answerd.
a. 1450, Seven Sages, line 1361The King of Spaine is counted very ſtrong, and the Pope is counted very ſtrong, because they haue a ſtrong hand to perſecute the ſilly ones of leſus Chriſt.
c. 1600, Robert Rollo[c]k, chapter I, in Lectvres Vpon The Epistle Of Pavl To The Colossians, London: Felix Kyngston, page 27:
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(Scotland, obsolete) Blessed ▸ Holy.
... thrie Saturdayes befor Lambas and thrie efter called the six silie Saturdayes.
1650 in 1885, W. Cramond, Church of Rathven, 21
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(Northern-England, Scotland, rare) Pitiful, inspiring compassion, particularly
The fire raging upon the silly Carcase.
1556 in 1880, William Henry Turner, Selections from the Records of the City of Oxford... 1509–83, 246Silly... in the same sense as E. poor is often used, denoting a state which excites compassion.
1808, John Jamieson, An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language:
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(Northern-England, Scotland, literary, rare) Pitiful, inspiring compassion ▸ Innocent; suffering undeservedly, especially as an epithet of lambs and sheep.
In the silly lambis skin He crap als far as he micht win.
a. 1513, William Dunbar, Poems, section 247:There is no best in þe word, I wene... / That suffuris halfe so myche tene / As doth þe sylly wat.
a. 1475, in 1925, Rossell Hope Robbins, Secular Lyrics of the 14th & 15th Centuries, 109
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(Northern-England, Scotland, literary, rare) Pitiful, inspiring compassion ▸ Helpless, defenseless.
scared silly
Ah Shepheard, pity my diſtreſſed plight, / (If as thou ſeem’ſt, thou art ſo meane a man) / And ſeeke not to inrich thy followers, / By lawleſſe rapine from a ſilly maide, […]
c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:There remained fresh Examples of their Barbarism against weak Sea-men, and silly Fisher-men.
1665, Hugo Grotius, translated by Thomas Manley, De Rebus Belgicis, section 938:Wherfore Christe must soo moche the more instantelye be sought vpon, that he may vouchsafe to defende vs sylly wretches.
1539, Juan Luis Vives, translated by Richard Morison, Introduction to Wysedome:
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(Northern-England, Scotland, rare) Pitiful, inspiring compassion ▸ Insignificant, worthless, (chiefly Scotland) especially with regard to land quality.
It is naturally very poor, ‘silly’ land.
1907, Transactions of the Highland & Agricultural Society, 19, 172:[…]A pettigree / Of threescore and two yeares a sillie time, / To make prescription for a kingdomes worth.
c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], line 93:Ane sillie scheill vnder ane erdfast stane
a. 1500, Aesop, translated by Robert Henryson, Two Mice:
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(Northern-England, Scotland, rare) Pitiful, inspiring compassion ▸ Weak, frail; flimsy (use concerning people and animals is now obsolete).
That'll never grow. It's ower silly.
1946, Scottish National Dictionary, published 1971, Vol. VIII, 234/3:Here we see that a smal sillie Bird knoweth how to match with so great a Beast.
1567, John Maplet, A Greene Forest:[Christ] leaueth neither Children nor kinsfolke behind him to vphold his sillie kingdome.
1587, Philippe de Mornay, translated by Philip Sidney et al., A Woorke Concerning the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, xxxii, 596:
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(Northern-England, Scotland, rare) Pitiful, inspiring compassion ▸ Sickly; feeble; infirm.
Is there ony thing you would particularly fancy, as your health seems but silly?
1818, Heart of Mid-Lothian, Walter Scott, section V:To doe the thing we can / To please... / This silly sickly man.
1636, Alexander Montgomerie, The Cherrie & the Slae, line 1512:
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(qualifier:now rustic UK, rare) Simple, plain ▸ Rustic, homely.
Dauid had no more but a sylie slynge, and a few stones.
1570, John Foxe, Actes & Monumentes, Vol. II, 926/1:
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(obsolete, qualifier:now rustic UK, rare) Simple, plain ▸ Lowly, of humble station.
The silly herdman all astonnied standes.
a. 1547, the Earl of Surrey translating Publius Virgilius Maro, Certain Bokes of Virgiles Aeneis, Book IISo luvaris lair no leid suld lak, A lord to lufe a silly lass.
1568, Alexander Scott, Poems, section 27:
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(obsolete) Mentally simple, foolish ▸ Rustic, uneducated, unlearned.
From Hell (of which the silly people of the Country think the top of this hill to be the mouth).
1687, Jean de Thévenot, translated by Archibald Lovell, The Travels of Monsieur de Thevenot into the Levant, i, 2:
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Mentally simple, foolish ▸ Thoughtless, lacking judgment.
The truth is that everyone is sillier than you could possibly imagine they'd be.
1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 3:silly mistake
Wee sillie soules, take the matter too too heauily.
1576, Abraham Fleming translating Sulpicius, A Panoplie of Epistles, 24Steve, don't be silly. I mean social intercourse.
1972, George Lucas et al., American Graffiti, section 8:‘Heaven help this silly fellow,’ murmured the perplexed locksmith.
1841, Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge, iii, 252:For Vesper to fall for an old trick like that and get herself snatched and probably held to ransom like some bloody heroine in a strip cartoon. The silly bitch.
1953, Ian Fleming, “Black Hare and Grey Hound”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 105:
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(Scotland) Mentally simple, foolish ▸ mentally delayed or feeble.
Fow ȝellow ȝellow wes hir heid bot scho of lufe wes sillie.
1568, Christis Kirk on Grene:Davie's no just like other folk... but he's no sae silly as folk tak him for.
1814, Waverley, Walter Scott, III, xvi, 237:
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Mentally simple, foolish ▸ Stupefied, senseless; stunned or dazed.
Well, Judy, now that you've scared me silly, what's so important?
1942, J. Chodorov et al., Junior Miss, ii, i, 113:I can kick this stuff any time I like. I tell you what. Get this week over, we'll go to a health farm for ten days. No drugs. No drink. And shag ourselves silly. How about that?
1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 2:You say you were knocked silly—was that so?
1829 January 17, Lancaster GazetteDrinking myself silly...
1907, John Millington Synge, Playboy of the Western World, iii, 64:
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(of a fielding position) Very close to the batsman, facing the bowler; closer than short.
Carpenter now placed himself at silly-point for Grundy, who was playing very forward.
1862 July 4, Notts. Guardian
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| seely | alternative | lexicographic | |
| silliest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| sillier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| sely | alternative | lexicographic |
Antonyms
pious (antonym(s) of “playful”)
Deriveds
play silly buggers · silly me · unsilly · sillily · sillyhood · play silly beggars · sillykins · silly point · silly-how · silly pill · silly string · silly billy · sillyhead · sillyly · silly money · silly o'clock · silly season · silly mid off · nonsilly · sillyish · sillykin · sillycide · strike me silly · sillycidal · sillification · silliness · silly slicing · silly goose · silly putty · silly window syndrome · silly straw · sillyism · silly sausage · silly mid on · sillyfic · silly bean
Synonyms
charming (playful) · Also see Thesaurus:foolish
Translations (224)
ro poznaș (playful, giggly) · pt bobo (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · lv dumjš (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ja 馬鹿 (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · ja 愚鈍 (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · el σαχλός (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · da fjollet (playful, giggly) · nl stom (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · pt tolo (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ota شاشقین (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · cmn 傻 (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sl neumen (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · my မိုက် (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cmn ㄎㄧㄤ (playful, giggly) · grc ἄφρων (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · bg глу́пав (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · is kjánalegur (playful, giggly) · ko 어리석다 (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sk hlúpy (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · fr jeté (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · my မိုက်မဲ (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · es apayasado (playful, giggly) · fr fou (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · mi rūrūwai (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · es tonto (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro găgăuță (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · ota بوك (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · eo facilanima (playful, giggly) · la fatuus (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · el ανόητος (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · nl gek (playful, giggly) · sh глу̑п (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · az qanmaz (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · es tontito (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · sa दुर्मति (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · da dum (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · eo fola (playful, giggly) · ia fatue (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · gd faoin (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · ru глупышка (playful, giggly) · fi yksinkertainen (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · ro iresponsabil (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · izh humppa (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · nb teit (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro haios (playful, giggly) · ro copilăresc (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · fi typerä (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · fr nunuche (playful, giggly) · cmn 糊塗 /糊涂 (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · bg игрив (playful, giggly) · de albern (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · lo ຈ້າ (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr abruti (semiconscious) · be дурны́ (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · to laupisi (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · az sarsaq (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · hi मूर्ख (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ja 阿呆 (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · ca babau (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cmn 憨痴 (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · my န (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sv dum (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro zglobiu (playful, giggly) · be глу́пы (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr branque (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · id konyol (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sl glúp (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ca ximplet (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · be тупы́ (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · th โง่ (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · grc ἀβέλτερος (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · br sod (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · la ineptus (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · my တုံး (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cs bláhový (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ja 馬鹿 (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · nl dom (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · pl głupi (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · az səfeh (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fi hölmö (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · la ineptus (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · no tullete (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · gd amaideach (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · fr idiot (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · it sciocco (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · nds-de sellig (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · pt bobo (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · km ដែលភ្លីភ្លើ (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sk hlúpy (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · cs hloupý (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · es bobo (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fi hölmö (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · lv muļķīgs (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cmn 愚蠢 (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · no fjollete (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · haw kohu ʻole (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · bg нехаен (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · ro prostănac (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · pt aéreo (semiconscious) · ja 馬鹿 (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro nerod (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sh блесав (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · pt simples (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · az ağılsız (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cmn 無聊 /无聊 (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · id bodoh (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · bg детински (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · ga gamalach (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cs omráčený (semiconscious) · fr idiot (playful, giggly) · sv fnittrig (playful, giggly) · fr insensé (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · pt bobo (playful, giggly) · sk hlúpy (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr fou (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · bg тъп (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · nl dom (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · nb dum (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · hy տխմար (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · es niñito (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ta விளையாட்டுத்தனமான (playful, giggly) · mi wawau (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · el χαζός (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cs praštěný (semiconscious) · fi typerä (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ja つまらない (playful, giggly) · sl trapast (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fi hassu (playful, giggly) · nn teit (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cs pitomý (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · es lelo (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · io stulta (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr idiot (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · mi wawau (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · it sciocco (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · gd faoin (playful, giggly) · es simple (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · hu buta (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · da sølle (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · pt irresponsável (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · ga aertha (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ru тупо́й (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · de doof (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · hu csacsi (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sl butast (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr givré (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · hu idétlen (playful, giggly) · ru дурно́й (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · de albern (playful, giggly) · he מטופש (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · la stultus (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ca ximple (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro prost (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr sot (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · hy հիմար (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr bébête (playful, giggly) · af verspot (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr idiot de (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · fr bête (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · et loll (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · el σαχλός (playful, giggly) · gl tonto (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · ca fava (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fi sekava (semiconscious) · ru глу́пый (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · az axmaq (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro nechibzuit (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · ja 馬鹿げた (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro simpluț (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · rgn stòpid (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · nb dum (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · nl ondeugend (playful, giggly) · ro nătâng (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro neghiob (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · nn fjollete (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cs hloupý (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · mk глупав (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fi vastuuton (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · la fatuus (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · hu együgyű (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · ro caraghios (playful, giggly) · vi ngu (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sh glȗp (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ja 他愛ない (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fr stupide (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · he טיפשי (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ar سَخِيف (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cu глоупъ (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · gd amaideach (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · et tobe (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · es semiaturdido (semiconscious) · uk дурни́й (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · nl ondoordacht (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · nl dom (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ota خفیف (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · de dumm (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro naiv (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · tr saf (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · mr फालतू (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro trăsnit (playful, giggly) · pt semiconsciente (semiconscious) · no tullete (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · gd faoin (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · af onnosel (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · sv lekfull (playful, giggly) · pt ingénuo (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · eu ergel (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · gl parvo (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · tr aptal (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · pt infantil (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · sh blesav (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · ro nesăbuit (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · cmn 笨 (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · la excors (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · fi hölmö (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · fr imbécile de (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · es infantil (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · ja 阿呆 (pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined) · fi ajattelematon (irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors) · my တုံးတာ (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · gv meecheeallagh (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · uk тупи́й (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · eo malsaĝa (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom) · cs pošetilý (foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom)