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silly

adj. · n.
US //ˈsɪɫi// UK //sˈɪli// sil·ly
  1. 1 foolish or funny (adj.)
    A2 Elementary

    showing a lack of thought or being funny in a way that is not serious.

    exhibiting a lack of common sense or judgement; often used to describe behaviour that is playfully or harmlessly foolish.

    Example

    The children were making silly faces at each other during the long car ride.

    Example

    It was a silly mistake to leave the windows open while the sprinklers were running, but fortunately no permanent damage was done.
  2. 2 cricket position (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Sport

    in the game of cricket, a position for a player who stands very close to the person hitting the ball.

    denoting a fielding position located extremely close to the batsman, such as 'silly mid-on' or 'silly mid-off'.

    Example

    The captain moved a fielder into a silly position to put pressure on the batsman.

    Example

    Fielding in a silly position requires immense courage and sharp reflexes, as the player stands only a few feet from the striker's blade.

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  1. 3 a foolish person (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Informal

    a person who is acting in a foolish or funny way.

    a person who behaves in a foolish or lighthearted manner; frequently used as a mild, affectionate term of address.

    Example

    Don't be such a silly; you know I was only joking about the spiders.

    Example

    The teacher gently chided the young student, calling him a 'silly' for trying to wear his sweater as a pair of trousers.
  2. 4 weak or pitiful (adj.)
    C2 Proficiency Literary Dialect Archaic

    describing someone who deserves pity or is very weak.

    evoking compassion or pity; historically related to being helpless or simple-minded.

    Example

    The old man looked like a silly creature, lost in the cold wind.

    Example

    In the older verses, the poet refers to the 'silly sheep' not to mock them, but to highlight their innocent and defenceless nature.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is rare in modern English and mostly found in older literature or specific regional dialects; learners should use 'foolish' for modern contexts.
Origin

From Middle English seely, sēlī, from Old English sǣliġ, ġesǣliġ (“lucky, fortunate”), from Proto-West Germanic sālīg, from sāli; equivalent to seel (“happiness, bliss”) + -y. Doublet of Seelie. The semantic evolution is “lucky” to “innocent” to “naive” to “foolish”. Compare the similar evolution of daft (originally meaning “accommodating”), and almost the reverse with nice (originally meaning “ignorant”).

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