silly

Etymology

From Middle English seely, sēlī, from Old English sǣliġ, ġesǣliġ (“lucky, fortunate”), from Proto-West Germanic *sālīg, from *sāli. Equivalent to seel (“happiness, bliss”) + -y. Doublet of Seelie. The semantic evolution is “lucky” → “innocent” → “naïve” → “foolish”. Compare the similar evolution of daft (originally meaning “accommodating”), and almost the reverse with nice (originally meaning “ignorant”).

adj

1. Laughable or amusing through foolishness or a foolish appearance.
   Well sir, I have a silly walk and I'd like to obtain a Government grant to help me develop it. 1970, Graham Chapman et al., Monty Python's Flying Circus, I, 183
   1. (of numbers, particularly prices) Absurdly large.
      He cannot achieve celebrity by covering himself with diamonds... or by giving a silly price for a hack. 1875 June 26, Saturday Review, 815/2
2. (chiefly Scotland, obsolete) Blessed
   1. Good; pious.
      The sylyman lay and herde, a. 1450, Seven Sages, line 1361
   2. Holy.
      ... thrie Saturdayes befor Lambas and thrie efter called the six silie Saturdayes. 1650 in 1885, W. Cramond, Church of Rathven, 21
3. (now chiefly Scotland and Northern England, rare) Pitiful, inspiring compassion
   1. (now literary) Innocent; suffering undeservedly, especially as an epithet of lambs and sheep.
      There is no best in þe word, I wene... That suffuris halfe so myche tene a. 1475, in 1925, Rossell Hope Robbins, Secular Lyrics of the 14th & 15th Centuries, 109
      In the silly lambis skin He crap als far as he micht win. a. 1513, William Dunbar, Poems, section 247
   2. (now literary) Helpless, defenseless.
      scared silly
      Wherfore Christe must soo moche the more instantelye be sought vpon, that he may vouchsafe to defende vs sylly wretches. 1539, Juan Luis Vives, translated by Richard Morison, Introduction to Wysedome
      There remained fresh Examples of their Barbarism against weak Sea-men, and silly Fisher-men. 1665, Hugo Grotius, translated by Thomas Manley, De Rebus Belgicis, section 938
   3. Insignificant, worthless, (chiefly Scotland) especially with regard to land quality.
      Ane sillie scheill vnder ane erdfast stane a. 1500, Aesop, translated by Robert Henryson, Two Mice
      It is naturally very poor, ‘silly’ land. 1907, Transactions of the Highland & Agricultural Society, 19, 172
   4. Weak, frail; flimsy (use concerning people and animals is now obsolete).
      Here we see that a smal sillie Bird knoweth how to match with so great a Beast. 1567, John Maplet, A Greene Forest
      [Christ] leaueth neither Children nor kinsfolke behind him to vphold his sillie kingdome. 1587, Philippe de Mornay, translated by Philip Sidney et al., A Woorke Concerning the Trewnesse of the Christian Religion, xxxii, 596
      That'll never grow. It's ower silly. 1946, Scottish National Dictionary, published 1971, Vol. VIII, 234/3
   5. Sickly; feeble; infirm.
      To doe the thing we can To please... This silly sickly man. 1636, Alexander Montgomerie, The Cherrie & the Slae, line 1512
      Is there ony thing you would particularly fancy, as your health seems but silly? 1818, Heart of Mid-Lothian, Walter Scott, section V
4. (now rural UK, rare) Simple, plain
   1. Rustic, homely.
      Dauid had no more but a sylie slynge, and a few stones. 1570, John Foxe, Actes & Monumentes, Vol. II, 926/1
   2. (obsolete) Lowly, of humble station.
      The silly herdman all astonnied standes. a. 1547, the Earl of Surrey translating Publius Virgilius Maro, Certain Bokes of Virgiles Aeneis, Book II
      So luvaris lair no leid suld lak, A lord to lufe a silly lass. 1568, Alexander Scott, Poems, section 27
5. Mentally simple, foolish
   1. (obsolete) Rustic, uneducated, unlearned.
      From Hell (of which the silly people of the Country think the top of this hill to be the mouth). 1687, Jean de Thévenot, translated by Archibald Lovell, The Travels of Monsieur de Thevenot into the Levant, i, 2
   2. Thoughtless, lacking judgment.
      Wee sillie soules, take the matter too too heauily. 1576, Abraham Fleming translating Sulpicius, A Panoplie of Epistles, 24
      ‘Heaven help this silly fellow,’ murmured the perplexed locksmith. 1841, Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge, iii, 252
      Steve, don't be silly. I mean social intercourse. 1972, George Lucas et al., American Graffiti, section 8
      Framed? Framed? Oh, grow up, Mattie. The truth is that everyone is sillier than you could possibly imagine they'd be. What a dickhead. 1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 3
   3. (Scotland) Mentally retarded.
      Fow ȝellow ȝellow wes hir heid bot scho of lufe wes sillie. 1568, Christis Kirk on Grene
      Davie's no just like other folk... but he's no sae silly as folk tak him for. 1814, Waverley, Walter Scott, III, xvi, 237
   4. Stupefied, senseless; stunned or dazed.
      You say you were knocked silly—was that so? 1829 January 17, Lancaster Gazette
      Drinking myself silly... 1907, John Millington Synge, Playboy of the Western World, iii, 64
      Well, Judy, now that you've scared me silly, what's so important? 1942, J. Chodorov et al., Junior Miss, ii, i, 113
      I can kick this stuff any time I like. I tell you what. Get this week over, we'll go to a health farm for ten days. No drugs. No drink. And shag ourselves silly. How about that? 1990, House of Cards, season 1, episode 2
6. (cricket, of a fielding position) Very close to the batsman, facing the bowler; closer than short.
   Carpenter now placed himself at silly-point for Grundy, who was playing very forward. 1862 July 4, Notts. Guardian

adv

1. (now regional or colloquial) Sillily: in a silly manner.
   If you did but see how silly a Man fumbles for an Excuse, when he's a little asham'd of being in Love. 1731, Colley Cibber, Careless Husband, 7th edition, i, i, 21

noun

1. (colloquial) A silly person.
   While they, poor sillies, bid good night, O' love an' bogles eerie. 1807 May, Scots Magazine, 366/1
2. (endearing, gently derogatory) A term of address.
   ‘Come on, silly,’ said Nannie. 1918 September, St. Nicholas, 972/2
3. (colloquial) A mistake.