silly
/ˈsɪli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈsɪli/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈsi-lē/ (ame, mw)
silly — 形容詞
- sillypositive
- silliercomparative
- silliestsuperlative
1. describes a person, action, or idea that shows a lack of good judgment or carefu
愚蠢的
缺乏判斷力或常識的
describes a person, action, or idea that shows a lack of good judgment or careful thought, often in a way that is harmless rather than harmful
Ayesha laughed at her own silly mistake as soon as she realised what she had done.
Ayesha 發現自己做了什麼之後，對自己那個愚蠢的錯誤大笑起來。
attributive: silly + noun (mistake, idea, question)
Ryan knew it was silly to trust a stranger who knocked on the door at midnight.
Ryan 知道，相信一個半夜敲門的陌生人是愚蠢的。
pattern: it + be + silly + to-infinitive
The children made silly faces at each other during the long car ride home.
孩子們在漫長的回家車程中互相扮愚蠢的鬼臉。
What a silly question — the bus always leaves from the same stop every morning.
多愚蠢的問題啊——巴士每天早上都在同一個站牌出發。
Femi felt silly after buying a jacket that was already hanging in his own closet.
Femi 買了一件已經掛在自己衣櫃裡的夾克，覺得自己很蠢。
文法句型
silly + noun
be + silly
silly + to-infinitive
用法筆記
This is the most common and neutral sense of 'silly'. Less harsh than 'stupid' — often used affectionately or playfully.
常見錯誤
2. feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable because you think other people are laughing
難為情的
擔心被人取笑的
feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable because you think other people are laughing at you or paying too much attention to you
Trang felt silly when everyone turned to stare at her unusual purple raincoat.
Trang 覺得很難為情，因為每個人都轉頭盯著她那件特別的紫色雨衣。
predicative: feel + silly + when-clause
After tripping on the stairs in front of the class, Hamza felt too silly to continue his speech.
在全班同學面前樓梯上絆倒後，Hamza 覺得太丟臉而無法繼續演講。
pattern: too + silly + to-infinitive
The little boy felt silly wearing a dinosaur costume to his cousin's formal wedding party.
那個小男孩穿著恐龍裝參加堂哥的正式婚禮，覺得很不好意思。
Dahlia did not want to sing at the party because she felt silly performing in front of strangers.
Dahlia 不想在派對上唱歌，因為她覺得在陌生人面前表演很尷尬。
- embarrassed
more direct; focuses on social discomfort
- awkward
emphasises physical or social clumsiness
- self-conscious
more precise; over-aware of how others see you
- confident
feeling sure of yourself in social situations
文法句型
feel + silly
too + silly + to-infinitive
用法筆記
Frequently used predicatively with 'feel' — 'I feel silly'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the person is embarrassed by a social situation, not necessarily lacking judgment.
常見錯誤
3. describes something that is considered insignificant, pointless, or not worth ta
無聊的
不重要或不實際的
describes something that is considered insignificant, pointless, or not worth taking seriously — often expressing mild disapproval of something seen as a waste of time
The whole meeting was wasted on silly arguments about who should order the snacks.
整場會議都在吵誰該訂點心這種無聊的爭論，白白浪費了時間。
attributive: silly + noun (arguments, gossip, rules)
Brandon told his friends he had no interest in their silly gossip about the new neighbours.
Brandon 告訴朋友們他對那些關於新鄰居的無聊八卦毫無興趣。
Élise thought the office dress code was silly and refused to follow it on Fridays.
Élise 認為公司的服裝規定很沒意義，於是星期五拒絕遵守。
Mauricio could not believe they were fighting over such a silly little detail in the contract.
Mauricio 不敢相信他們竟然為了合約裡一個無聊的小細節爭吵。
文法句型
silly + noun
be + silly
用法筆記
Common in dismissive expressions like 'silly rules', 'silly argument', 'silly game'. The disapproval is usually mild — the speaker considers the matter beneath serious attention.
4. in the sport of cricket, describes a fielding position placed right next to the
近距守備的
板球中靠近打者的守備位置
in the sport of cricket, describes a fielding position placed right next to the person holding the bat, where the fielder stands in a dangerous spot to catch fast, close-range hits
The fielder at silly point barely had time to react as the ball flew straight at his face.
站在 silly point 的外野手幾乎來不及反應，球就直接朝他的臉飛來。
position noun: silly point / silly mid-off / silly mid-on
A sharp catch at silly mid-off ended the opposing team's best batter's innings.
對手球隊最強打者的一局，因為一記在 silly mid-off 的精采接殺而結束。
Standing at a silly position requires quick reflexes because the ball comes at you very fast.
站在近距守備位置需要很快的反應速度，因為球會非常快速地朝你飛來。
The coach placed his fastest fielder at silly point to put pressure on the nervous new batter.
教練把他最快的野手安排到 silly point，給緊張的新打者施加壓力。
文法句型
silly + cricket position noun
用法筆記
Only used in cricket commentary and discussion. Always appears before specific position names: 'silly point', 'silly mid-off', 'silly mid-on'. This sense is not understood outside the UK and Commonwealth countries where cricket is played.
5. unable to think clearly because of a physical hit, a shock, or very strong emoti
昏沉的
像被打昏一樣暈眩的
unable to think clearly because of a physical hit, a shock, or very strong emotion — as if your mind has been temporarily knocked off balance
Caio was knocked silly by the falling branch and could hardly stand up afterwards.
Caio 被掉落的樹枝砸得昏沉沉的，幾乎站不起來。
pattern: knock + object + silly (physical blow)
After the roller coaster ride, Rin felt completely silly and had to sit down on a bench.
坐完雲霄飛車後，Rin 覺得頭暈目眩，只好在長椅上坐下來。
The boxer took a hard punch to the jaw and stood in the corner looking silly and confused.
那位拳擊手下巴挨了一記重拳，站在角落裡一臉昏沉茫然。
Takeshi scared his little brother silly by jumping out from behind the living room curtain.
Takeshi 從客廳窗簾後面跳出來，把弟弟嚇得魂不附體。
- alert
fully awake and able to think clearly
文法句型
knock + object + silly
scare + object + silly
be + silly (from a blow)
用法筆記
Most common in fixed patterns with verbs like 'knock', 'beat', 'scare', 'bore' — 'knocked silly', 'scared silly'. Distinguish from sense 1: here the person cannot think clearly because something has overwhelmed them, not because they made a bad choice.
silly — 副詞
1. used after certain adjectives to add strong emphasis, meaning 'to an extreme or
極度
置於形容詞後表程度極深
used after certain adjectives to add strong emphasis, meaning 'to an extreme or very great degree' — for example, 'rich silly' means extremely rich
Some of the people in that neighbourhood are silly rich; they own three holiday houses each.
那個社區有些人有錢到誇張；他們每人擁有三棟度假屋。
pattern: adjective + silly (rich, drunk, bored)
Jabari got bored silly during the three-hour lecture on ancient tax records.
三個小時關於古代稅務記錄的講座讓 Jabari 無聊到極點。
Faisal laughed so hard at the comedy show that he laughed himself silly by the end.
Faisal 在喜劇秀上笑得太厲害，最後笑得停不下來。
Christopher drank himself silly at the wedding party and could not remember the ride home.
Christopher 在婚禮上喝到不省人事，完全不記得自己是怎麼回家的。
- extremely
neutral register; works with many more adjectives
- completely
emphasises fullness rather than degree
文法句型
adjective + silly
用法筆記
Only follows a small set of adjectives (rich, bored, drunk) or reflexive verbs (laugh oneself silly, drink oneself silly). Does NOT work with most adjectives — 'tired silly' or 'hot silly' are not natural. This is informal spoken English.
常見錯誤
2. in a way that shows a lack of good sense or judgment; behaving or acting without
愚蠢地
以缺乏判斷力的方式
in a way that shows a lack of good sense or judgment; behaving or acting without thinking carefully enough
Gabriel smiled silly at his own reflection in the shop window without realising anyone was watching.
Gabriel 對著櫥窗裡自己的倒影傻笑，沒注意到有人在看他。
manner adverb: verb + silly (smile, act, behave)
The children were acting silly in the supermarket and knocked over a display of tinned beans.
孩子們在超市裡胡鬧，撞倒了一整排罐頭食品的展示架。
Takeshi waved silly at his friends from across the street, nearly dropping his phone in a puddle.
Takeshi 在街對面向朋友傻氣地揮手，差點把手機掉進水坑裡。
The puppy acted silly, chasing its own tail until it fell over and rolled on the grass.
那隻小狗傻裡傻氣地追著自己的尾巴跑，直到跌倒在草地上滾來滾去。
文法句型
verb + silly
用法筆記
Describes how someone does something — the manner itself lacks judgment. Distinguish from adjective sense 1 (predicative 'be silly') where the person or action IS silly as a quality, not just done in a silly way.
silly — 名詞
1. a person who behaves in a way that lacks good judgment, often in a childish, pla
傻瓜
行為愚蠢或幼稚的人
a person who behaves in a way that lacks good judgment, often in a childish, playful, or harmless manner
Don't be such a silly — nobody is going to steal your lunch from the office fridge.
別當傻瓜了——沒有人會偷你放在辦公室冰箱裡的午餐。
imperative: don't be a silly
The old woman smiled and called her grandson a silly for hiding her reading glasses as a joke.
老奶奶笑著說孫子是傻瓜，因為他把她的老花眼鏡藏起來當作玩笑。
collocation: call someone a silly
Come on, you silly — the keys were in your pocket the whole time, not lost.
好啦，你這個傻瓜——鑰匙一直在你的口袋裡，根本沒有弄丟。
My little brother is such a silly — he put his shoes on the wrong feet again this morning.
我弟弟真是個傻瓜——他今天早上又把鞋子穿反了。
文法句型
a/the + silly
用法筆記
Usually affectionate or playful, not truly insulting — often used between family members or close friends. Most commonly used with children or in a teasing tone. Less harsh than 'fool' or 'idiot'.