silly

adjective (silly, sillier, silliest)

«silly» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition and Early Modern English — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

Everyday

Silly means funny in a foolish way: a silly hat. tree →
Silly means not sensible or not wise: a silly mistake. tree →
«Silly» can be said kindly to someone who is being foolish. tree →
A silly can also be a foolish person, often said kindly to someone. tree →

In the lessons

In maths a word of the story only, but «a silly mistake» is a careless one, like adding instead of subtracting. Everyday: silly jokes, silly faces, being silly, don't be silly. Stories: a silly goose, silly games.

Examples

The clown wore 3 silly hats. tree →
They told silly jokes for 10 minutes. tree →
It is silly to buy 20 umbrellas. tree →
How many silly faces did he draw? tree →
I made a silly mistake and forgot to carry the one. tree →
Don't be silly, it's only a spider. tree →
The children giggled at the silly song. tree →
Well, that was one big silly. tree →

Note

Comparative sillier, superlative silliest. Carries no number clue. Trap: none. «Silly» is gentler than «stupid»; use it kindly.

In Jewish tradition

Here it means simple or easily fooled, without good sense, rather than just funny.

Interpretation. Job says that envy kills the simple person. Hosea compares Ephraim to a dove that flutters between Egypt and Assyria and trusts people instead of God.

Examples

For anger killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one. (Writings JOB.5.2, JPS 1917) tree →
And Ephraim is become like a silly dove, without understanding; they call unto Egypt, they go to Assyria. (Prophets HOS.7.11, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Comparative sillier, superlative silliest. Carries no number clue. Trap: none. «Silly» is gentler than «stupid»; use it kindly.

Early Modern English

Meaning

Foolish or ridiculous in a way that is funny or a bit daft. tree →

Then and now

Today silly means foolish, and the sentences use this same sense. The old sense of simple or innocent does not appear here.

Examples

“Of course you have, you silly. (Peter Pan) tree →
"Who says that you are silly?" (Fifty Famous Stories Retold) tree →
Well, that was one big silly. (English Fairy Tales) tree →

Note

Today: foolish.

On Mova

Trees and pragmatics of «silly» in the school dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«silly» in the school dictionary on Mova free.
Trees and pragmatics of «silly» in the Judaism dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«silly» in the Judaism dictionary on Mova free.
Trees and pragmatics of «silly» in the Early Modern English dictionary: every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
«silly» in the Early Modern English dictionary on Mova free.

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