silly
gb/sˈɪli/ us/sˈɪli/
A2
English
~ 2800
buta, ostoba, észszerűtlen, esztelen, meggondolatlan, oktalan, hülyéskedik, bolondos
A2
INFORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is silly
It was silly to leave your keys in the car.
Buta dolog volt a kocsiban hagyni a kulcsaidat.
She made a silly mistake on the test.
Buta hibát követett el a teszten.
Don’t be silly — of course you can come.
He felt silly wearing that costume to the meeting.
That’s a silly thing to say.
Learner examples
That was a silly question.
Ez buta kérdés volt.
I made a silly mistake.
Buta hibát követtem el.
My brother is very silly today.
She feels silly in that hat.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'silly' with 'funny'. 'Silly' can be humorous but also means lacking sense, not just causing laughter.
Meaning
lacking good sense
Collocations
silly idea
|silly mistake
|silly joke
|act silly
|feel silly
Synonyms
foolish (Similar meaning but slightly more formal and less playful than 'silly'.)
Antonyms
sensible (Describes having good sense and sound judgment, the opposite of 'silly' in this context.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Not showing good thinking or serious behavior; foolish.
Showing a lack of good sense, judgment, or seriousness.
A2
INFORMAL
2
hülyéskedik
B1
bolondos
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is being silly
The kids were being silly in the park.
A gyerekek hülyéskedtek a parkban.
Stop being silly and help me with this.
Ne hülyéskedj, inkább segíts ebben.
He made a silly face to make her laugh.
We had a silly conversation about talking animals.
Learner examples
The children are being silly.
A gyerekek hülyéskednek.
He makes me laugh when he is silly.
Megnevettet, amikor hülyéskedik.
They are acting silly at the party.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse this sense for any kind of humor, but it specifically means lighthearted or playful, not just funny.
Meaning
playful and lighthearted
Collocations
act silly
|be silly with friends
|silly dance
|silly face
Synonyms
goofy (Informal and playful like 'silly', but can sound more affectionate or childish.)
Antonyms
serious (Focused and not playful, opposite of 'silly' in this sense.)
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Acting in a fun and happy way, not serious.
Behaving in a playful, lighthearted, or amusing way, often not serious.
Grammar
Dictionary form
silly
IPA
GB/sˈɪli/
US/sˈɪli/
Syllables & stress
silly (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (silly)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: silly
- Comparative: sillier
- Superlative: silliest
Word family
Expressions
act silly
1/ˈækt sˈɪli/
fixed phrase
informal
behave foolishly or playfully
To do things that are foolish or playful.
Examples
- The children acted silly during the show.
- Stop acting silly and pay attention.
don't be silly
1/dˈoʊnt bˈi sˈɪli/
fixed phrase
informal
reassure or lightly disagree
Used to tell someone they are wrong in a friendly way, or to say their worry is not needed.
Examples
- Don't be silly — of course you can come with us.
- 'I think I upset her.' 'Don't be silly, she’s fine.'
feel silly
1/fˈil sˈɪli/
fixed phrase
informal
feel embarrassed or foolish
To feel embarrassed because you think you did something foolish.
Examples
- I felt silly after forgetting his name again.
- She felt silly wearing that big hat.