Basic+ Word of the Day: silly

silly (adjective)

A silly face.

If someone or something is silly, it means that they are stupid.

• He’s a very silly man.
• That’s a silly idea.

If something is silly, it can also mean that it is strange and funny.

• He always wears silly ties to work.

Or it can mean that someone isn’t serious.

• Stop being silly and do some work.

Common uses

When we do something that we think is stupid, we sometimes say, “Silly me!” For example: “Do you know where my glasses are?” “They’re on your head!” “Oh silly me! I thought I lost them!”

In pop culture

Silly putty is a children’s toy. It’s called silly putty because you can do silly (not serious) things with it. Watch this advert from the 1950s. What can you do with silly putty?

There are other meanings of silly.