Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Silly \Sil"ly\, a. [Compar. {Sillier}; superl. {Silliest}.] [OE.
seely, sely, AS. s?lig, ges?lig, happy, good, fr. s?l, s?l,
good, happy, s?l good fortune, happines; akin to OS.
s[=a]lig, a, good, happy, D. zalig blessed, G. selig, OHG.
s[=a]l[=i]g, Icel. s?l, Sw. s["a]ll, Dan. salig, Goth. s?ls
good, kind, and perh. also to L. sollus whole, entire, Gr.
???, Skr. sarva. Cf. {Seel}, n.]
1. Happy; fortunate; blessed. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
2. Harmless; innocent; inoffensive. [Obs.] ``This silly,
innocent Custance.'' --Chaucer.
The silly virgin strove him to withstand. --Spenser.
A silly, innocent hare murdered of a dog. --Robynson
(More's
Utopia).
3. Weak; helpless; frail. [Obs.]
After long storms . . . With which my silly bark was
tossed sore. --Spenser.
The silly buckets on the deck. --Coleridge.
4. Rustic; plain; simple; humble. [Obs.]
A fourth man, in a sillyhabit. --Shak.
All that did their silly thoughts so busy keep.
--Milton.
5. Weak in intellect; destitute of ordinary strength of mind;
foolish; witless; simple; as, a silly woman.
6. Proceeding from want of understanding or common judgment;
characterized by weakness or folly; unwise; absurd;
stupid; as, silly conduct; a silly question.
Syn: Simple; brainless; witless; shallow; foolish; unwise;
indiscreet. See {Simple}.
Source : WordNet®
silly
adj 1: pungent adjectives of disesteem; "gave me a cockamamie
reason for not going"; "wore a goofy hat"; "a silly
idea"; "some wacky plan for selling more books" [syn:
{cockamamie}, {cockamamy}, {goofy}, {sappy}, {wacky},
{whacky}, {zany}, {unreasonable}]
2: lacking seriousness; given to frivolity; "a dizzy blonde";
"light-headed teenagers"; "silly giggles" [syn: {airheaded},
{dizzy}, {empty-headed}, {featherbrained}, {giddy}, {light-headed},
{lightheaded}]
3: inspiring scornful pity; "how silly an ardent and
unsuccessful wooer can be especially if he is getting on
in years"- Dashiell Hammett [syn: {pathetic}, {ridiculous}]
4: dazed from or as if from repeated blows; "knocked silly by
the impact"; "slaphappy with exhaustion" [syn: {punch-drunk},
{slaphappy}]
n : a word used for misbehaving children; "don't be a silly"
[also: {silliest}, {sillier}]
sillier
See {silly}