silly

Definitions

1. 1.Harmless; innocent; inoffensive. [Obs.] "This silly, innocent Custance." Chaucer. The silly virgin strove him to withstand. Spenser. A silly, innocent hare murdered of a dog. Robynson (More's Utopia).
2. 2.Weak; helpless; frail. [Obs.] After long storms . . . With which my silly bark was tossed sore. Spenser. The silly buckets on the deck. Coleridge.
3. 3.Rustic; plain; simple; humble. [Obs.] A fourth man, in a sillyhabit. Shak. All that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. Milton.
4. 4.Weak in intellect; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; foolish; witless; simple; as, a silly woman.
5. 5.Proceeding from want of understanding or common judgment; characterized by weakness or folly; unwise; absurd; stupid; as, silly conduct; a silly question. See Simple.

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

Synonyms

Related questions

• What does "silly" mean?
• What is another word for "silly"?

Reverse-dictionary questions

Definition-first questions whose answer is silly.

• What is harmless; innocent; inoffensive. [Obs.] "This silly, innocent Custance." Chaucer. The silly virgin strove him to withstand. Spenser. A silly, innocent hare murdered of a dog. Robynson (More's Utopia) called?
• What is weak; helpless; frail. [Obs.] After long storms . . . With which my silly bark was tossed sore. Spenser. The silly buckets on the deck. Coleridge called?
• What is rustic; plain; simple; humble. [Obs.] A fourth man, in a sillyhabit. Shak. All that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. Milton called?
• What is weak in intellect; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; foolish; witless; simple; as, a silly woman called?
• What is proceeding from want of understanding or common judgment; characterized by weakness or folly; unwise; absurd; stupid; as, silly conduct; a silly question. See Simple called?