silly
Translation
foolish, absurd, trivial
Examples
That was a silly thing to do.
That was a silly thing to do.
Don't ask silly questions.
Don't ask silly questions.
Grammar Patterns
((a)) silly ((noun)) a foolish (noun) That was a silly mistake.
((to be)) silly to behave in a foolish way Don't be silly, of course I'll help you.
Similar Words
Synonyms: foolish, absurd, ridiculous; Antonyms: sensible, wise, serious
Etymology
From Middle English 'sely' (happy, blessed), which evolved to mean innocent, then weak, then foolish.
Memory Tips
Think of 'Silly String', the toy. It's used for fun, foolish pranks, which captures the essence of 'silly'.