English Dictionary: silliest | by the DICT Development Group |
1 result for silliest | |
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
Silly \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. s[be]lig, a, good, happy, D. zalig blessed, G. selig, OHG. s[be]l[c6]g, Icel. s[?]l, Sw. s[84]ll, Dan. salig, Goth. s[?]ls good, kind, and perh. also to L. sollus whole, entire, Gr. [?][?][?], Skr. sarva. Cf. {Seel}, n.] 1. Happy; fortunate; blessed. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 2. Harmless; innocent; inoffensive. [Obs.] [bd]This silly, innocent Custance.[b8] --Chaucer. The silly virgin strove him to withstand. --Spenser. A silly, innocent hare murdered of a dog. --Robynson (More's Utopia). 3. Weak; helpless; frail. [Obs.] After long storms . . . With which my silly bark was tossed sore. --Spenser. The silly buckets on the deck. --Coleridge. 4. Rustic; plain; simple; humble. [Obs.] A fourth man, in a sillyhabit. --Shak. All that did their silly thoughts so busy keep. --Milton. 5. Weak in intellect; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; foolish; witless; simple; as, a silly woman. 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}. |