Movatterモバイル変換

[0]ホーム
URL:

Jump to content
WiktionaryThe Free Dictionary
Search

silly

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

[edit]
EnglishWikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

[edit]

FromMiddle Englishseely,sēlī,[1] fromOld Englishsǣliġ,ġesǣliġ(“lucky, fortunate”), fromProto-West Germanic*sālīg, from*sāli; equivalent toseel(“happiness, bliss”) +‎-y.Doublet ofSeelie.

The semantic evolution is “lucky” to “innocent” to “naive” to “foolish”. Compare the similar evolution ofdaft (originally meaning “accommodating”), and almost the reverse withnice (originally meaning “ignorant”).

Pronunciation

[edit]

Adjective

[edit]

silly (comparativesillier,superlativesilliest)

  1. Laughable oramusing throughfoolishness or afoolishappearance.
    They were laughing at asilly joke.
    silly grin
    1. (of numbers, particularly prices)Absurdlylarge.
      • 1875 June 26,Saturday Review, 815/2:
        He cannot achieve celebrity by covering himself with diamonds... or by giving asilly price for a hack.
  2. (chiefly Scotland, obsolete)Blessed,particularly:
    1. Good;pious.
    2. Holy.
  3. (now chiefly Scotland and Northern England, rare)Pitiful,inspiringcompassion,particularly:
    • 1556 in1880, William Henry Turner,Selections from the Records of the City of Oxford... 1509–83, 246:
      The fire raging upon thesillyCarcase.
    • 1808, John Jamieson,An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language:
      Silly... in the same sense asE.poor is often used, denoting a state which excites compassion.
    1. (now literary)Innocent;sufferingundeservedly,especially as anepithet oflambs andsheep.
    2. (now literary)Helpless,defenseless.
      scaredsilly
      • 1539, Juan Luis Vives, translated by Richard Morison,Introduction to Wysedome:
        Wherfore Christe must soo moche the more instantelye be sought vpon, that he may vouchsafe to defende vssylly wretches.
      • c.1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe],Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published1592,→OCLC; reprinted asTamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press,1973,→ISBN,Act I, scene ii:
        Ah Shepheard, pity my diſtreſſed plight, / (If as thou ſeem’ſt, thou art ſo meane a man) / And ſeeke not to inrich thy followers, / By lawleſſe rapine from aſilly maide,[…]
      • 1665, Hugo Grotius, translated by Thomas Manley,De Rebus Belgicis, section 938:
        There remained fresh Examples of their Barbarism against weak Sea-men, andsilly Fisher-men.
    3. Insignificant,worthless,(chiefly Scotland)especially with regard to land quality.
    4. Weak,frail;flimsy(use concerning people and animals is now obsolete).
      • 1567, John Maplet,A Greene Forest:
        Here we see that asmalsillie Birdknoweth how to match with so great a Beast.
      • 1587, Philippe de Mornay, translated by Philip Sidneyet al.,A Woorke Concerning the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, xxxii, 596:
        [Christ]leaueth neither Children norkinsfolke behind him tovphold hissilliekingdome.
      • 1946,Scottish National Dictionary, published1971,Vol. VIII, 234/3:
        That'll never grow. It'sowersilly.
    5. Sickly;feeble;infirm.
      • 1636, Alexander Montgomerie,The Cherrie & the Slae, line1512:
        Todoe the thing we can / To please... / Thissilly sickly man.
      • 1818,Heart of Mid-Lothian,Walter Scott, section V:
        Is thereony thing you would particularly fancy, as your health seems butsilly?
  4. (now rustic UK, rare)Simple,plain,particularly:
    1. Rustic,homely.
      • 1570, John Foxe,Actes & Monumentes,Vol. II, 926/1:
        Dauid had no more but asylieslynge, and a few stones.
    2. (obsolete)Lowly, ofhumblestation.
  5. Mentallysimple,foolish,particularly:
    1. (obsolete)Rustic,uneducated,unlearned.
      • 1687, Jean de Thévenot, translated by Archibald Lovell,The Travels of Monsieur de Thevenot into the Levant,i, 2:
        From Hell (of which thesilly people of the Country think the top of this hill to be the mouth).
    2. Thoughtless,lackingjudgment.
      silly mistake
    3. (Scotland) mentally delayed or feeble.
    4. Stupefied,senseless;stunned ordazed.
      • 1829 January 17,Lancaster Gazette:
        You say you were knockedsilly—was that so?
      • 1907,John Millington Synge,Playboy of the Western World,iii, 64:
        Drinking myselfsilly...
      • 1942, J. Chodorovet al.,Junior Miss,ii, i, 113:
        Well, Judy, now that you've scared mesilly, what's so important?
      • 1990,House of Cards, season 1, episode 2:
        I cankick this stuff any time I like. I tell you what. Get this week over, we'll go to a health farm for ten days. No drugs. No drink. Andshag ourselvessilly. How about that?
  6. (cricket, of a fielding position)Veryclose to thebatsman,facing thebowler;closer thanshort.
    • 1862 July 4,Notts. Guardian:
      Carpenter now placed himself atsilly-point for Grundy, who was playing very forward.

Usage notes

[edit]
  • Silly is usually taken to imply a less serious degree of foolishness, mental impairment, or hilarity than its synonyms.
  • The sense meaningstupefied is usually restricted to times when silly is used as a verb complement, denoting that the action is done so severely or repetitively that it leaves one senseless.

Alternative forms

[edit]

Synonyms

[edit]

Antonyms

[edit]
  • (antonym(s) of“playful”):pious

Derived terms

[edit]

Translations

[edit]
foolish, showing a lack of good sense and wisdom
irresponsible, showing irresponsible behaviors
playful, giggly
semiconscious
cricket: of a fielding position, very close to the batsman; closer than short
  • Bulgarian:please add this translation if you can
pejorative: simple, not intelligent, unrefined
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Adverb

[edit]

silly (comparativesillier,superlativesilliest)

  1. (now regional or colloquial)Sillily: in a sillymanner.
    • 1731, Colley Cibber,Careless Husband, 7th edition,i, i, 21:
      If you did but see howsilly a Man fumbles for an Excuse, when he's a littleasham'd of being in Love.

Noun

[edit]

silly (pluralsillies)

  1. (colloquial) A sillyperson.
    • 1807 May,Scots Magazine, 366/1:
      While they, poorsillies, bid good night,
      O' lovean' bogles eerie.
    • 1951,John Wyndham,The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published1954, page217:
      "Oh, Bill. I can't - Oh, my dear, I've been hoping so much.... Oh, Bill..." said Josella. I had forgotten all about Susan until a voice came from above. "You are getting wet, yousilly. Why don't you kiss her indoors?" it asked.
  2. (endearing, gently derogatory)A term of address.
    • 1918 September,St. Nicholas, 972/2:
      ‘Come on,silly,’ said Nannie.
  3. (colloquial) A mistake.

Translations

[edit]
silly person

References

[edit]
  1. ^Middle English Dictionary,"sēlī (adj.)".
  • Oxford English Dictionary, ""silly,adj., n., andadv.", 2013.

Anagrams

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=silly&oldid=89451220"
Categories:
Hidden categories:
[8]ページ先頭
©2009-2026 Movatter.jp