Foolish
Foolish adjective - Showing or marked by a lack of good sense or judgment.
Usage example: a foolish scheme that was supposed to make us all rich
Silly is a synonym for foolish in ability topic. In some cases you can use "Silly" instead the word "Foolish" as an adjective or a noun, when it comes to topics like mental condition, stupid, unwise, nonsensical. popular alternative
Silly
Silly adjective - Lacking in seriousness or maturity.
Usage example: the matinee show was filled with a bunch of silly children making noise
Foolish is a synonym for silly in behaviour topic. You can use "Foolish" instead an adjective "Silly", if it concerns topics such as ability, mental condition, senseless, absurd. popular alternative
Nearby Word: silliness
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- Believe it or not, the current use of "nimrod" to mean a stupid, silly, or foolish person derives from Bugs Bunny using it sarcastically to taunt Elmer Fudd.
Source: The Catch Phrase Catches On -
Someone insulting someone else in a ridiculously silly fashion, and then asking the insulted party if they feel foolish.
Source: Theatre / A Very Potter Musical - Of course her silly ideas about equality are played for laughs, as only a foolish woman could ever believe it.
Source: Literature / Gor
Cite this Source
Silly and Foolish. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/foolish/silly
Foolish & Silly. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/foolish/silly>.
Silly or Foolish. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/foolish/silly.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "foolish" and "silly" have occurred on timeline