silliness

American  

[sil-ee-nis] / ˈsɪl i nɪs /

noun

1. the quality of lacking good sense; foolishness.

   The author pokes fun at herself and the general silliness of celebrity culture.

   Her blog cuts through the contradictions, misinformation, and downright silliness out there about naturopathy.

2. absurdity, ridiculousness, or irrationality.

   This “no-touch” policy occasionally devolves into silliness, as when a teacher hesitates to help a five-year-old zip up a jacket.

3. clownish, whimsical, or exaggerated humor and playfulness; unrestrained high spirits.

   Our sessions included a lot of chatter, laughter, and silliness—exactly what sitting around a table playing games with friends is all about.

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Etymology

Origin of silliness

silly ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

Example Sentences

"Through what you love, why not put that silliness on your wall? It's an extension of your personality and will bring you joy," she said.

From BBC

In family touch football, there’s no silliness about the receiver needing to keep both feet or one foot in bounds.

From The Wall Street Journal

Put into the same boxing ring to duke it out, the movie’s unintentional silliness easily KO’s its blips of emotional gravity.

From Salon

It can seem an overused device, but it often produces good results, and, based on the two episodes out for review, the results here, rich in slapstick and silliness, are very good.

From Los Angeles Times

As often as you may be tickled by its fanged silliness, you’ll also be drained.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• absurdity
• craziness
• foolishness
• goofiness
• stupidity