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

Despite the silliness, many scientists appreciate the Ig Nobels.

From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026

It was one of the few moments in her otherwise excellent performance when subtlety gives way to silliness.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 26, 2026

Michael Neser claimed four wickets, Scott Boland three, with the silliness of the day summed up by Boland then opening the batting as nightwatchman.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

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 • Nov. 26, 2025

Sherrie wanted to talk about the disposition of certain funds, but John kept joking with her, stalling her with odd cracks and silliness.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Related Words

• absurdity
• craziness
• foolishness
• goofiness
• stupidity