sillies
sillies — adjective
- silliespositive
- more silliescomparative
- most silliessuperlative
1. showing a failure to think things through or use good judgment, often in a way t
showing a failure to think things through or use good judgment, often in a way that is not very serious
Sade felt silly after realising she had locked her keys inside the car.
Leaving the garden gate open with the dog still inside was a silly mistake.
collocation: silly mistake
Imran asked a silly question because he had not read the instructions first.
Don't be silly — of course you can still come to the party.
The argument started over something silly, like whose turn it was to wash up.
- foolish
more formal and slightly stronger; often implies the action could have been avoided
- stupid
much harsher and can feel insulting; suggests a real lack of intelligence
- unwise
focuses purely on poor judgment without questioning the person's intelligence
- daft
British informal word, close to silly in strength but more affectionate
常見錯誤
2. not very clever or quick to understand things, often said in a gentle rather tha
not very clever or quick to understand things, often said in a gentle rather than cruel way
Putri was not a bad student, just a little silly when it came to maths.
collocation: a little silly
Nora's uncle called her silly for believing everything she read online.
The character in the film was sweet but silly, always missing the point.
The young waiter was sweet but silly, mixing up orders three times in one shift.
用法筆記
Often used in a mild or patronising way — calling someone 'a bit silly' is much softer than calling them 'stupid.' Distinguish from sense 1, which is about a single foolish action rather than a person's general ability.
常見錯誤
3. amusing in a light, carefree way and not intended to be taken seriously — like a
amusing in a light, carefree way and not intended to be taken seriously — like a funny hat or a goofy dance
Renata wore a silly hat covered in plastic fruit to the family lunch.
collocation: silly hat
Eri told a silly joke that made all the children in the room laugh.
The puppy chased its own tail in a silly circle for nearly a minute.
Sven sent his sister a silly video of himself dancing with a mop.
Anna and her friends spent the afternoon taking silly photos with funny faces.
- goofy
more informal; often used in American English
- playful
broader — covers any lighthearted behaviour, not only the amusing kind
- lighthearted
more about mood than humour; not necessarily funny
- whimsical
more fanciful and imaginative, less common in everyday speech
用法筆記
This sense describes behaviour or things that are fun and not serious, not the person's intelligence. Distinguish from sense 1 (lacking sense), which involves poor judgment.
4. confused and unable to think clearly, especially after a hard hit to the head or
confused and unable to think clearly, especially after a hard hit to the head or a sudden shock
The boxer was knocked silly by a hard right hand in the third round.
collocation: knocked silly
Yael felt silly after the bicycle fall, blinking in confusion on the pavement.
A loud explosion from the building site scared the delivery driver silly.
Ilan walked into a glass door and stood there looking silly for a moment.
- groggy
focuses on physical tiredness or weakness, not confusion from a blow
- woozy
focuses on dizziness and unsteadiness
- punch-drunk
specific to boxing; implies repeated head trauma over time
文法句型
be knocked silly
scared silly
用法筆記
Almost always appears after 'knocked' or 'scared.' Not used for general tiredness or mild confusion — 'groggy' or 'woozy' are better for those.
常見錯誤
sillies — adverb
1. to a very great degree — used after certain adjectives to mean 'extremely' or 'c
to a very great degree — used after certain adjectives to mean 'extremely' or 'completely'
Madison was bored silly during the three-hour meeting about office supplies.
collocation: bored silly
The horror film scared Defne silly, and she had to sleep with the lights on.
The children were thrilled silly when they saw the pile of presents by the tree.
Sade's little brother drove her silly with endless questions on the long car trip.
- extremely
neutral and can modify almost any adjective; much more common
- ridiculously
carries a judgment that something is unreasonable or excessive
- insanely
very informal; stronger than silly and more widely used
文法句型
scared silly
bored silly
thrilled silly
用法筆記
Only used after a small set of adjectives — most commonly 'scared,' 'bored,' 'thrilled,' and 'knocked.' It is not a general-purpose intensifier like 'very' or 'extremely.'
常見錯誤
2. in a way that is foolish or makes no sense
in a way that is foolish or makes no sense
Theo answered the exam questions in a silly way, writing jokes instead of real answers.
pattern: in a silly way
Our old cat acted silly, darting sideways across the kitchen floor for no reason.
Amara dressed in a silly way for the dinner, with a hat shaped like a pineapple.
Diego told the story in a silly way, giving every character a squeaky voice.
- absurdly
slightly more formal; emphasises how unreasonable the action is
- ridiculously
broader and more common; can describe anything unreasonable, not just behaviour
sillies — noun
1. a person who has done something foolish — often used in a gentle or affectionate
a person who has done something foolish — often used in a gentle or affectionate way, especially when speaking to children
Come here, you little sillies, and let me tie your shoelaces properly.
plural noun: you little sillies
The teacher smiled and told the children not to be sillies during the school play.
Sorry I knocked over your cup — I am such a silly sometimes.
The nurse laughed and called herself a silly for misplacing the keys again.
文法句型
you little sillies
a silly
用法筆記
Often used in the plural 'sillies' when addressing children. Carries affection rather than genuine criticism. Can sound patronising if used to an adult in a formal setting.