"This is going to sound stupid, but are you sure?"
Come to think of it you could call anyone by a name which is not their own and make them sound stupid.
But I could think of nothing that did not sound stupid.
"But I do have two quick questions that might sound stupid."
The whole thing sounded stupid, but she must have had a ball.
That sounds stupid to even ask, but I'm not afraid of asking questions.
I know this is going to sound stupid,' she said.
"This probably sounds stupid, but I haven't made up my mind yet."
It sounds stupid, but she had a kind of innocence.
It sounded stupid, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.