Crossword Dictionary

silly

Lacking seriousness; dazed or dizzy

Synonyms

asinine, featherbrained, foolhardy, frivolous, illogical, irrational, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous

Wordplays

About

Silly describes something that can't be taken seriously. You might not mind telling silly jokes, but you don't want to be told a project you've worked hard at is silly.

Silly originally meant “happy,” which gives the sense of children's games or harmless jokes. Later, it came to mean “foolish”: silly ideas are looked down on because they're not very smart. Silly can also mean a state of foolishness brought on in a specific way. Your mother “worried herself silly” when you stayed out late, and promised to “slap you silly” when you got home.