British Slang For Silly (10 Examples!)

There are a great many ways to say that someone is silly in the English language.

British slang is incredibly rich and varied, and has over the centuries developed multiple slang terms for just about anything.

One notion that always tends to attract a lot of slang words is silliness, and this is just as true in Britain as it is anywhere else.

Today, we’re going to look at some of the most common British slang terms for silly.

Let’s get started.

In This Article

Daft

First up we have daft, a staple British slang term used in many parts of the country.

While it wouldn’t be used by absolutely everyone in Britain, it would no doubt be understood by the vast majority of British people.

To be daft is to be stupid, silly, whether that’s in a funny and playful sense or in a more serious way. “Don’t be daft,” for example.

Funnily enough, this term originally meant “mild mannered” and came from the Old English gedaefte.

By around the beginning of the 14^th Century, it had come to mean uncouth and boorish.

Div

Next we have div, or divvy.

This is a great one to use when someone is being a bit silly and winding you up.

Many of those who grew up in Britain will remember being called a divvy by their parents. It means someone who is being a bit stupid. “You are an absolute divvy sometimes,” for example.

There’s a bit of confusion about its origin. Some say that it originated in U.K. prison slang, where a “div” was someone who put dividers into boxes.

Others suggest it is a shortening of Unemployment Dividend from the 1950s.

It’s unfortunately not really clear.

Berk

Berk is another very popular way to describe a silly person in British slang.

I would urge caution with this one as some might take it as more of an insult than in good humor.

Nonetheless, a berk is someone who is stupid, or who is being silly.

“He can be such a berk sometimes,” for example.

It originated only in around 1936, where it was used as rhyming slang.

Prat

Next we have “prat”, another bedrock, universal slang term for silly in Britain.

It can, again, have somewhat varied meanings, so it’s worth exercising some caution with how you use this one.

That said, for the most part, people say prat just to mean a silly person or a person being silly. “Let’s not behave like prats, shall we?” for example.

This is another fairly recent one, not having been attested before 1968.

Earlier on, it had a stronger sense of a contemptible person.

Goofy

Goofy is definitely a slang term used widely throughout Britain.

Though it’s by no means unique to Britain, it does have its own unique character here.

If something is goofy is silly in a fun way, perhaps a self-conscious way, and you could use it to describe a person, a place, a television show—anything, really! “This movie is so goofy,” for example.

Funnily enough, this term meaning silly actually originates with the Disney character of the same name.

His original name was Dippy Dawg in 1929 but it was soon changed to goofy.

Wacky

Again, another one that is pretty widely used in the English speaking world.

Wacky is an important part of British slang, too.

Again, it can be used to describe a wide range of things, from a person’s behavior to a movie or performance. “That was such a wacky show,” for instance.

This one seems to derive from the 19^th Century, where “whacky” meant a foolish person, probably from the word “whack” meaning to strike or hit something.

Bonkers

Bonkers is perhaps the most quintessentially British word for silly.

Everyone understands it, again, if not everyone uses it. For something to be bonkers means it’s wild, crazy, completely off the rails.

It can, again, be about a person, or a thing. “I’ve met him only once before, he’s absolutely bonkers,” for example.

It derives from nautical slang, where sailors used the term “bonk” as a variation of the sound of a thump on the head to mean slightly drunk.

By 1957, it had entered the wider vocabulary.

Mental

Mental, of course, is a standard English term that is used in all English-speaking nations in some capacity.

In Britain, though, it does have its own sense. It can be used to describe a situation that is farcical or stupid, or again someone’s behavior. “I love this show, it’s mental,” for example.

The word itself is quite old, deriving ultimately from Latin, but this sense comes from around 1927.

Here it first meant crazy or stupid.

Ridic

This one is definitely a more recent one, and just means that something is very stupid—or ridiculous, since this is what it is a shortened form of!

There’s not a great deal more to say about this one, other than that though it isn’t the most widely used term, it definitely is becoming more popular.

Dodgy

Finally we have dodgy, which can have one or two senses depending on how it’s used.

It can mean something is suspicious or criminal.

However, it can also just mean that something is very silly, weird, or stupid, and shouldn’t be trusted.

It comes from the 19^th Century term which meant evasive or cunning, and took on its more modern meaning only towards the end of the last century.

So, there is definitely no shortage of ways to say that something is silly in British slang.

However you want to say it and to whatever degree, there’s a word for exactly the sense you’re looking for in British slang somewhere.

Some of these, of course, might be a bit more insulting than others, so always exercise a bit of caution with how you use them!

More in British Slang

Founder - @PollyWebster

Polly Webster is the founder of Foreign Lingo and a seasoned traveler with a decade of exploration under her belt.

Over the past 10 years, she has journeyed to numerous countries around the globe, immersing herself in diverse cultures, traditions, and languages.

Drawing from her rich experiences, Polly now writes insightful articles about travel, languages, traditions, and cultures, sharing her unique perspectives and invaluable tips with her readers.

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