The silly buckets on the deck,/That had so long remained,/I dreamt that they were filled with dew;/And when I awoke, it rained. Samuel Taylor Coleridge
simple implies a degree of intelligence inadequate to cope with anything complex or involving mental effort.
considered people simple who had trouble with computers
foolish implies the character of being or seeming unable to use judgment, discretion, or good sense.
foolish stunts
silly suggests failure to act as a rational being especially by ridiculous behavior.
the silly antics of revelers
fatuous implies foolishness, inanity, and disregard of reality.
fatuous conspiracy theories
asinine suggests utter and contemptible failure to use normal rationality or perception.
an asinine plot
Example Sentences
Adjective I hope I didn't make any silly mistakes. The idea does seem a bit silly. That's the silliest thing I've ever heard. You drove in this weather? What a silly thing to do! Silly me. I locked myself out of the car again. Ask a silly question, and you get a silly answer. “I can't ask you to do that.” “Don't be silly. It is my pleasure.” What a silly little purse. It looks too small to hold everything that I'd need to carry. I'm tired of watching silly movies. The book was a silly waste of time. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
It’s quintessential Peele: memorably surreal, spooky and a little bit silly. Michael O'sullivan, Anchorage Daily News, 20 July 2022 Everyone’s reaction seemed a bit silly—like getting mad about a fart. Ian Allen, The New Republic, 20 Apr. 2022 Doesn’t this all sound even just a little bit silly? Zach Osterman, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2022 Perhaps as silly and a bit more edgy is Tiffany Haddish’s police officer pulling Joe over. Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 4 Aug. 2022 Liu and Bender were two of the many stars at the Bullet Train premiere in Los Angeles, where Liu posed with current and former castmates as well as Bender; the two took some silly and sweet photos together before walking the red carpet hand-in-hand. Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 2 Aug. 2022 Memes and GIFs from the movie, which often depict the characters in silly and sometimes explicit contexts, are hard to miss on social media.New York Times, 16 July 2022 Personable, athletic, a little silly sometimes, the Pittsburgh-area native with that big radiant smile, the square jaw, the thick head of wavy hair, could chat up anyone. Manuel Roig-franzia, Anchorage Daily News, 28 July 2022 Personable, athletic, a little silly sometimes, the Pittsburgh-area native with that big radiant smile, the square jaw, the thick head of wavy hair, could chat up anyone. Manuel Roig-franzia, Washington Post, 28 July 2022 See More
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English sely, silly happy, innocent, pitiable, feeble, from Old English sǣlig, from sǣl happiness; akin to Old High German sālig happy