ENGLISH
REFERENCE

silliness

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈsɪɫinəs// UK //sˈɪlinəs// silli·ness

n. the quality of being silly or acting in a way that is not serious. It describes behavior that is playful, foolish, or lacks common sense.

n. the quality or state of being silly; behavior or speech that is foolish, absurd, or lacking in seriousness. Often used to describe a playful or lighthearted mood.


SIMPLE

The children's silliness kept everyone laughing all afternoon.

CONTEXTUAL

After a long week of serious meetings, the team enjoyed a bit of silliness during the Friday afternoon game.

COMPLEX

While some critics dismissed the film's silliness as a failure of taste, others argued that the exaggerated humor was precisely what made the story so accessible to a younger audience.

Synonyms
Origin

From silly + -ness.

© 2026 English Reference