silly 
silly (sil′ē)
adjective sillier -·lier, silliest -·li·est
- Obsolete
- simple; plain; innocent
- feeble; infirm; helpless
- Now Rare feebleminded; imbecile
- having or showing little sense, judgment, or sobriety; foolish, stupid, absurd, ludicrous, irrational, etc.: often used in a weakened sense to mean “unreasonably concerned” don't be silly, it's no bother
- frivolous or trivial
- Informal dazed or senseless, as from a blow
Etymology: ME seli, sili (with shortened vowel), good, blessed, innocent < OE sælig, happy, prosperous, blessed (akin to Ger selig, blessed) < sæl, happiness < IE base *sel-, favorable, in good spirits (> Gr hilasia, propitiation, hilaros, gay, L solari, to comfort); sense development: happy → blissful → unaware of reality → foolish
noun pl. sillies -·lies
silly
modif.
silly implies ridiculous or irrational behavior that demonstrates a lack of common sense, good judgment, or sobriety it was silly of you to dress so lightly; stupid implies a slow-wittedness or lack of normal intelligence he is stupid to believe that; fatuous suggests stupidity, inanity, or obtuseness coupled with a smug complacency a fatuous smile; asinine implies the extreme stupidity conventionally attributed to an ass an asinine argument See also syn. study at absurd.
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.
Daisy and Lily, Lazy and silly, Walk by the shore of the wan grass sea,ö Talking once more 'neath a swan-bosomed tree.
Idonot know whether itoughttobe so, butcertainlysilly things do cease to be silly if theyare done by sensible people in an impudent way.Wickedness is always wickedness, but folly is not always folly. It depends upon the character of those who handle it.
Consider: only one bullet in ten thousand kills a man. Ask: was so much expenditure justified On the death of one so young and so silly Stretched under the olive trees,Oh, world,Oh, death?
You were silly like us: your gift survived it all; 40 The parish of rich women, physical decay, Yourself; mad Ireland hurt you into poetry. Now Ireland has her madness and her weather still, For poetry makes nothing happen.
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