SILLY

silly. Silly, a. simple, weak, witless, foolish, harmless

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Sil″ly, a. [Compar. Sillier (?); superl. Silliest.] [[OE. seely, sely, AS. s�lig, ges�lig, happy, good, fr. s�l, s�l, good, happy, s�l good fortune, happines; akin to OS. sālig, a, good, happy, D. zalig blessed, G. selig, OHG. sālīg, Icel. s�l, Sw. säll, Dan. salig, Goth. s�ls good, kind, and perh. also to L. sollus whole, entire, Gr. ���, Skr. sarva. Cf. Seel, n.]] 1. 1. Happy; fortunate; blessed. Chaucer.
2. 2. Harmless; innocent; inoffensive. “This silly, innocent Custance.” Chaucer.
The silly virgin strove him to withstand. Spenser. A silly, innocent hare murdered of a dog. Robynson (More's Utopia). 3. 3. Weak; helpless; frail.
After long storms . . . With which my silly bark was tossed sore. Spenser. The silly buckets on the deck. Coleridge. 4. 4. Rustic; plain; simple; humble.
A fourth man, in a sillyhabit. Shak. All that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. Milton. 5. 5. Weak in intellect; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; foolish; witless; simple; as, a silly woman.
6. 6. Proceeding from want of understanding or common judgment; characterized by weakness or folly; unwise; absurd; stupid; as, silly conduct; a silly question.
Syn. — Simple; brainless; witless; shallow; foolish; unwise; indiscreet. See Simple.