SILLINESS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does silliness mean? 

• SILLINESS (noun)
  The noun SILLINESS has 2 senses:

1. a ludicrous folly

2. an impulsive scatterbrained manner

  Familiarity information: SILLINESS used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SILLINESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A ludicrous folly

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

absurdity; fatuity; fatuousness; silliness

Context example:

the crowd laughed at the absurdity of the clown's behavior

Hypernyms ("silliness" is a kind of...):

folly; foolishness; unwiseness (the trait of acting stupidly or rashly)

Derivation:

silly (inspiring scornful pity)

silly (ludicrous, foolish)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An impulsive scatterbrained manner

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

giddiness; silliness

Hypernyms ("silliness" is a kind of...):

frivolity; frivolousness (the trait of being frivolous; not serious or sensible)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "silliness"):

lightness; lightsomeness (the trait of being lighthearted and frivolous)

Derivation:

silly (lacking seriousness; given to frivolity)

 Context examples 

Forgive me, Mother, I'm paid for my silliness now.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)