silly

adjective

1. 1

   Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance.

   They were laughing at a silly joke.

   silly grin

   This is the silliest stuffe, that euer I heard.

   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.

2. 2

   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.

3. 3

   obsoleteBlessed Good; pious.

   The sylyman lay and herde, / And hys wyf answerd.

   The 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.

4. 4

   obsoleteBlessed Holy.

   ... thrie Saturdayes befor Lambas and thrie efter called the six silie Saturdayes.

5. 5

   rarePitiful, inspiring compassion, particularly

   The fire raging upon the silly Carcase.

   Silly... in the same sense as E. poor is often used, denoting a state which excites compassion.

6. 6

   rarePitiful, inspiring compassion Innocent; suffering undeservedly, especially as an epithet of lambs and sheep.

   There is no best in þe word, I wene... / That suffuris halfe so myche tene / As doth þe sylly wat.

   In the silly lambis skin He crap als far as he micht win.

7. 7

   rarePitiful, inspiring compassion Helpless, defenseless.

   scared silly

   Wherfore Christe must soo moche the more instantelye be sought vpon, that he may vouchsafe to defende vs sylly wretches.

   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, […]

   There remained fresh Examples of their Barbarism against weak Sea-men, and silly Fisher-men.

8. 8

   rarePitiful, inspiring compassion Insignificant, worthless, (chiefly Scotland) especially with regard to land quality.

   Ane sillie scheill vnder ane erdfast stane

   […]A pettigree / Of threescore and two yeares a sillie time, / To make prescription for a kingdomes worth.

   It is naturally very poor, ‘silly’ land.

9. 9

   rarePitiful, inspiring compassion Weak, frail; flimsy (use concerning people and animals is now obsolete).

   Here we see that a smal sillie Bird knoweth how to match with so great a Beast.

   [Christ] leaueth neither Children nor kinsfolke behind him to vphold his sillie kingdome.

   That'll never grow. It's ower silly.

10. 10

    rarePitiful, inspiring compassion Sickly; feeble; infirm.

    To doe the thing we can / To please... / This silly sickly man.

    Is there ony thing you would particularly fancy, as your health seems but silly?

11. 11

    rareSimple, plain Rustic, homely.

    Dauid had no more but a sylie slynge, and a few stones.

12. 12

    obsoleteSimple, plain Lowly, of humble station.

    The silly herdman all astonnied standes.

    So luvaris lair no leid suld lak, A lord to lufe a silly lass.

13. 13

    obsoleteMentally 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).

14. 14

    Mentally simple, foolish Thoughtless, lacking judgment.

    silly mistake

    Wee sillie soules, take the matter too too heauily.

    ‘Heaven help this silly fellow,’ murmured the perplexed locksmith.

    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.

15. 15

    Mentally simple, foolish mentally delayed or feeble.

    Fow ȝellow ȝellow wes hir heid bot scho of lufe wes sillie.

    Davie's no just like other folk... but he's no sae silly as folk tak him for.

16. 16

    Mentally simple, foolish Stupefied, senseless; stunned or dazed.

    You say you were knocked silly—was that so?

    Drinking myself silly...

    Well, Judy, now that you've scared me silly, what's so important?

    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?

17. 17

    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.

adverb

1. 1

   Sillily: in a silly manner.

   If you did but see how silly a Man fumbles for an Excuse, when he's a little asham'd of being in Love.

noun

1. 1

   A silly person.

   While they, poor sillies, bid good night, O' love an' bogles eerie.

   "Oh, Bill. I can't - Oh, my dear, I've been hoping so much.... Oh, Bill..." said Josella. I had forgotten all about Susan until a voice came from above. "You are getting wet, you silly. Why don't you kiss her indoors?" it asked.

2. 2

   A term of address.

   ‘Come on, silly,’ said Nannie.

3. 3

   A mistake.

Forms

plural

sillies

comparative

sillier

superlative

silliest