Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Silly"

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)

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}.

From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)

silly
adj 1: (informal terms) "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}, {fool(a)}, {goofy}, {sappy}, {wacky}, {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: (informal) 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"


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