Word for Wednesday: Silly

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Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is other words for funny.

If something is funny, it means that it provokes laughter. The word has been used in English since 1756 and comes from the word ‘fun-‘ and the suffix ‘-y'. 'Fun' comes from the Middle English ‘fonnen’ meaning ‘befool’.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve looked at the words amusing, droll, and hilarious. This week’s word is silly.

If something is silly, it means it is funny in a foolish or frivolous way.

Here is silly used in some example sentences:

  • The joke was silly but I couldn’t stop laughing.
  • She wore a silly hat that was covered in bells that rang whenever she moved.

Silly comes from the Middle English ‘seli’ or ‘seely’, from the Old English ‘gesælig’ meaning ‘happy, fortuitous, or prosperous’. ‘Gesælig’ comes from the Proto-Germanic ‘sæligas’.


23 Nov 2022
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