fun
Americannoun
verb (used with or without object)
adjective
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Informal. of or relating to fun, especially to social fun.
a fun thing to do; really a fun person; the funnest game.
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Informal. whimsical; flamboyant.
The fashions this year are definitely on the fun side.
idioms
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for / in fun, as a joke; not seriously; playfully.
His insults were only in fun.
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make fun of, to make the object of ridicule; deride.
The youngsters made fun of their teacher.
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like fun, certainly not; of doubtful truth.
He told us that he finished the exam in an hour. Like fun he did!
noun
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a source of enjoyment, amusement, diversion, etc
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pleasure, gaiety, or merriment
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jest or sport (esp in the phrases in or for fun )
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facetious amusement; frivolous activity
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informal
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(adverb) quickly; vigorously
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(interjection) not at all! certainly not!
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to ridicule or deride
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(modifier) full of amusement, diversion, gaiety, etc
a fun sport
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of fun
First recorded in 1675–85; dialectal variant of obsolete fon “to befool”; see fond 1 ( def. )
Explanation
When you are having fun, you are having a good time. Watching little kids jump around inside an inflatable bouncy house, you can instantly tell how much fun they're having. There is no mistaking fun when you're having it, and it's generally used to mean exactly what it sounds like, some activity or experience that's purely enjoyable. When fun takes the form of an adjective, it's informal, not strictly grammatically correct. So while you can say, "Being with her is so much fun," you can't correctly say, "She is such a fun girl." Fun turns a little bit mean when you're making fun of, or teasing, your friend. In this case, it might be fun for you, but it's probably not very much fun for him.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We were going to do one album for fun," he says.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
When temperatures rise, outdoor swimming can be a fun and often free day out - but it is not without risk.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
Yet one of the reasons it’s fun to encounter Dylan on Instagram is because you can still encounter him in the flesh.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2026
A director at a union for Foreign Service employees, she called the pool drama “a fun distraction from the more serious things” going on at her work.
From Slate • Jun. 19, 2026
“Forget it. Have fun with Vanessa and Reah. I’m not coming.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
