1
as in insanity
lack of good sense or judgment
she was both amused and irritated by the silliness of his comments regarding the movie they has just seen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nonsense
language, behavior, or ideas that are absurd and contrary to good sense
stop this silliness at once!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in lightness
a lack of seriousness often at an improper time
this inability to refrain from silliness is a distressing sign of professional immaturity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of silliness
What really makes Dog Man special, though, is how Pilkey’s trademark mix of absurd silliness and surprising sincerity shines through.
—
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
People had never seen that kind of silliness.
—Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
Winston’s in danger of being crushed by the system, not just a few popular-kid sociopaths, and the unassuming nature of Dinklage’s performance gives the character a stubborn dignity amid all the silliness and prosthetics.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
But there are deeper points being made under the cover of silliness, like incisive commentary about how Western Europe views its eastern neighbours.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 23 Aug. 2025
That saccharine silliness juxtaposed with the heady themes of the plot are part of the DNA of the franchise throughout all entries and would follow Kojima to his current work on Death Stranding.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
The Girlfriends star is already known for her aspirational life approach, charismatic silliness and all-around majestic aura, but there was something very special about seeing Ross share her solo travel so intimately.
—Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 20 Aug. 2025
There’s that sense of play and silliness.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
Whether taking on fraught issues (cultural appropriation, misinformation) or reuniting 21-year-old Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon) with his childhood crush Connie (Lauren Tom), King of the Hill delivers laughs with its signature blend of insight, sly humor, and silliness.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
People had never seen that kind of silliness.
—Jason Mastrodonato, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2025
Winston’s in danger of being crushed by the system, not just a few popular-kid sociopaths, and the unassuming nature of Dinklage’s performance gives the character a stubborn dignity amid all the silliness and prosthetics.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
But there are deeper points being made under the cover of silliness, like incisive commentary about how Western Europe views its eastern neighbours.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 23 Aug. 2025
That saccharine silliness juxtaposed with the heady themes of the plot are part of the DNA of the franchise throughout all entries and would follow Kojima to his current work on Death Stranding.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025
The Girlfriends star is already known for her aspirational life approach, charismatic silliness and all-around majestic aura, but there was something very special about seeing Ross share her solo travel so intimately.
—Taryn Finley, Refinery29, 20 Aug. 2025
There’s that sense of play and silliness.
—Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
Whether taking on fraught issues (cultural appropriation, misinformation) or reuniting 21-year-old Bobby Hill (Pamela Adlon) with his childhood crush Connie (Lauren Tom), King of the Hill delivers laughs with its signature blend of insight, sly humor, and silliness.
—Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for silliness
Noun
-
Johnson had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, the outlets reported.—
Samira Asma-Sadeque,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
-
The gunman was found not guilty by reason of insanity and spent decades at a mental hospital before he was released in 2016 and freed from court restrictions in 2022.—
Chris Boyette,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Every four years, we are told that this is the most important election in history, which is a lot of errant nonsense.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
12 Sep. 2025
-
This type of nonsense from [in-laws] is what wears on you over the years.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Open-weave knitwear also had a strong showing, offering texture and lightness in equal measure.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Tubular steel for strength, plywood for lightness, glass to maximize daylight—these were engineering as much as design.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Also along for the ride is Anthony Carrigan as the enigmatic Bodie, dragged into the fray as the mystery unravels into madness.—
Jen Juneau,
PEOPLE,
17 Sep. 2025
-
That’s because just two weeks separate the regular season from October madness, and MLB’s playoff race could not be more chaotic.—
Johnny Flores Jr,
New York Times,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Heck, maybe its sheer stupidity.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Trying to move in earlier to accommodate a pittance of an audience is mind boggling stupidity.—
Pol Ballus,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
What followed was, fittingly, pure glee.—
Matt Webb Mitovich,
TVLine,
13 Sep. 2025
-
That feeling of getting glee from seeing other people get their comeuppance.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This means that all of the orders a seller receives can now benefit from the speed, reliability, and simplicity of Amazon's fulfillment—with MCF fulfilling millions more orders quickly and reliably year-over-year.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Categories that don’t deliver on validation, simplicity and palatability often struggle to scale.—
Fairchild Studio,
Footwear News,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Almonds and walnuts are healthy tree nuts that offer a variety of nutrients, including healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
17 Sep. 2025
-
Fill a vase with nuts or rocks and insert the branch.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Silliness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/silliness. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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