Converse of object

• seem: Dear your generation, That whole, hope I die before I get old thing seems a little silly now, doesn't it?

Adjective modifier

• plain: Concept cars range from the futuristic to the retro, the wild and whacky to the just plain silly.

• little: Some are useful, some are a little silly.

Modifies a noun

• bugger: Silly bugger thought it was a qualification, he still puts it on application forms under education.

• hat: They made slides out of banana skins and silly hats out of crisps.

• grin: It's been a good fortnight for Fringe benefits: three shows made me leave the theater with a silly grin.

• joke: A junior often bursts into laughter, as the boss has a bout of cracking silly jokes.

• mistake: Silly mistakes were made by Newark MP Mrs Fiona Jones in her election return, the Crown Court was told on Monday.

• sod: I smiled to myself: not an eye, you silly sod, just globules of water dripping beneath the surface.

Modifying Another Word

• downright: In fact it's a downright silly, perhaps even damaging, thing to do.

• wonderfully: This wonderfully silly geek chic invention makes spoons obsolete!

• rather: It is thought by many today to be really rather silly to believe in a personal devil.

• plain: Does that make it some kind of meta game, or just plain silly?

Noun used with modifier

• bit: No question, holding a meeting with yourself is a bit silly.

• something: The next day in school I cried for something silly.

Infinitive complement

• pretend: It would be silly to pretend that no-one ever feels bullied but if you tell someone something can be done.

Used with adjective complement

• seem: Seems silly to £ 300+ to get a £ 50 belt fitted.

• look: Taking people out of Wootton Bassett makes our businesses look silly.

• sound: I kick myself afterward for sounding so silly in my opinion.

• feel: In just about every story about mistakes, the person whom made the mistake feels silly at some point.