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# silly

adjective (silly, sillier, silliest)

«silly» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition and Early Modern English — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Silly means funny in a foolish way: a silly hat. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#m1)
2. Silly means not sensible or not wise: a silly mistake. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#m2)
3. «Silly» can be said kindly to someone who is being foolish. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#m3)
4. A silly can also be a foolish person, often said kindly to someone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#m4)

### In the lessons

In maths a word of the story only, but «a silly mistake» is a careless one, like adding instead of subtracting. Everyday: silly jokes, silly faces, being silly, don't be silly. Stories: a silly goose, silly games.

### Examples

- The clown wore 3 silly hats. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#x1)
- They told silly jokes for 10 minutes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#x2)
- It is silly to buy 20 umbrellas. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#x3)
- How many silly faces did he draw? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#x4)
- I made a silly mistake and forgot to carry the one. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#x5)
- Don't be silly, it's only a spider. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#x6)
- The children giggled at the silly song. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#x7)
- Well, that was one big silly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/#x8)

### Note

Comparative sillier, superlative silliest. Carries no number clue. Trap: none. «Silly» is gentler than «stupid»; use it kindly.

## In Jewish tradition

Here it means simple or easily fooled, without good sense, rather than just funny.

**Interpretation.** Job says that envy kills the simple person. Hosea compares Ephraim to a dove that flutters between Egypt and Assyria and trusts people instead of God.

### Examples

- For anger killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. (Writings JOB.5.2, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/silly/#x1)
- And Ephraim is become like a silly dove, without understanding; they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria. (Prophets HOS.7.11, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/silly/#x2)

### Note

Comparative sillier, superlative silliest. Carries no number clue. Trap: none. «Silly» is gentler than «stupid»; use it kindly.

## Early Modern English

### Meaning

Foolish or ridiculous in a way that is funny or a bit daft. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/S/silly/#m1)

### Then and now

Today silly means foolish, and the sentences use this same sense. The old sense of simple or innocent does not appear here.

### Examples

- “Of course you have, you silly. (Peter Pan) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/S/silly/#x1)
- "Who says that you are silly?" (Fifty Famous Stories Retold) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/S/silly/#x2)
- Well, that was one big silly. (English Fairy Tales) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/S/silly/#x3)

### Note

Today: foolish.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «silly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/silly/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«silly» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/silly.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «silly» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/S/silly/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«silly» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/silly.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «silly» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/S/silly/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«silly» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/silly.html) on Mova free.