funny

¹

[ fuhn-ee ]

adjective

, fun·ni·er, fun·ni·est.

1. providing fun; causing amusement or laughter; amusing; comical:

   a funny remark;

   a funny person.

   Synonyms: humorous, facetious, witty, droll, ridiculous, farcical, comic, diverting

2. attempting to amuse; facetious:

   Did you really mean that or were you just being funny?

3. warranting suspicion; deceitful; underhanded:

   We thought there was something funny about those extra charges.

4. Informal. insolent; impertinent:

   Don't get funny with me, young man!

5. curious; strange; peculiar; odd:

   Her speech has a funny twang.

noun

, plural fun·nies.

1. Informal. a funny remark or story; a joke:

   to make a funny.

2. funnies,
   1. comic strips ( def ).
   2. Also called funny paper. the section of a newspaper reserved for comic strips, word games, etc.

funny

²

[ fuhn-ee ]

noun

, plural fun·nies.

1. a shell or light skiff rowed by one person with sculls.

funny

/ ˈfʌnɪ /

adjective

1. causing amusement or laughter; humorous; comical
2. peculiar; odd
3. suspicious or dubious (esp in the phrase funny business )
4. informal.
   faint or ill

   to feel funny

noun

1. informal.
   a joke or witticism

Derived Forms

• ˈfunnily, adverb
• ˈfunniness, noun

Other Words From

• funni·ly adverb
• funni·ness noun
• un·funni·ly adverb
• un·funni·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of funny¹

First recorded in 1730–40; fun + -y ¹

Origin of funny²

First recorded in 1780–90; perhaps jocular use of funny ¹

Idioms and Phrases

• fun

Synonym Study

Funny, laughable, ludicrous refer to that which excites laughter. Funny and laughable are both applied to that which provokes laughter or deserves to be laughed at; funny is a colloquial term loosely applied and in popular use is commonly interchangeable with the other terms: a funny story, scene, joke; a laughable incident, mistake. That which is ludicrous excites laughter by its incongruity and foolish absurdity: The monkey's attempts to imitate the woman were ludicrous.

Example Sentences

The hashtag itself also has to be memorable, funny or otherwise worth sharing.

From Digiday

Maybe there are a few poems or funny stories written by the contributors.

From Eater

Given how ubiquitous Uber and other ride-sharing services have become, it’s funny to think they weren’t even around ten years ago.

From Singularity Hub 

In quarantine, though, his show has become something to see most nights, even when it’s not particularly funny.

From Vox

As you might expect, the Sense also comes equipped with an ECG sensor that can help monitor your heart rhythm if you feel like something funny is going on.

From Popular-Science

Not only had the iconic comedian sexually assaulted many, many women, Maher argued, “I never thought he was funny.”

From The Daily Beast

The taste of metal cutlery after years of plastic can also taste funny.

From The Daily Beast

But as is her way, Kaling defended why the episode was not only funny, but necessary.

From The Daily Beast

He was funny and self-effacing, though prone to fits of anger.

From The Daily Beast

Pryor was famous for being funny, even as his life was far from funny.

From The Daily Beast

May looked along at the dimpled grace, And then at the saint-like, fair old face, “How funny!”

From Project Gutenberg

We were speaking of the faculty of mimicry, and he told me such a funny little anecdote about Chopin.

From Project Gutenberg

He looked up, half shutting his one funny eye, and cocking one ear up, and letting the other droop down.

From Project Gutenberg

I am an easiful old pagan, and I am not angry with you at all—you funny, little champion of the Most High.

From Project Gutenberg

He walked first to one side, and then the other, rooting in the dirt with his funny, rubbery nose.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• absurd
• amusing
• droll
• entertaining
• hilarious
• ludicrous
• playful
• ridiculous
• silly
• whimsical

More About Funny

What is a basic definition of funny?

Funny describes something that causes fun, especially laughter. Funny can describe someone who is trying to amuse others. It can also describe someone or something that is suspicious or odd. Funny has a few other senses as an adjective and a noun.

Funny describes something that is amusing and causes people to laugh. Something that amuses people without causing laughter is usually said to be fun rather than funny. For example, a roller coaster would be called fun, while a knock-knock joke would be called funny. If something is not funny, it is unfunny.

Real-life examples: Many people consider clowns, jokes, comedies, pranks, and Internet memes to be funny. These things cause most people to laugh.

Used in a sentence: The comedian knew a lot of funny jokes. 

Funny also describes someone who is trying to get others to laugh or is trying to amuse them. This sense of funny is a synonym of facetious.

Used in a sentence: Joan took the comment as an insult even though Luke was just trying to be funny. 

Funny also describes someone or something that is suspicious or underhanded. You might use this sense when you think something dishonest is going on. The phrase funny business is used in this sense to refer to criminal or unethical activity.

Real-life examples: Rigged carnival games, overly friendly salespeople, and deals that seem too good to be true often cause people to think something funny is going on.

Used in a sentence: We think something funny is going on at that store on the corner that is never open.

Funny can also describe something that is strange, odd, or curious.

Real-life examples: If your leg falls asleep, you will probably walk funny. Two tomatoes that grow together to make one tomato might have a funny shape.

Used in a sentence: I think the speakers might be broken because the music sounds funny. 

Where does funny come from?

The first records of funny come from the 1750s. It comes from a combination of the word fun, meaning “enjoyment or amusement,” and the suffix -y, which means “characterized by” or “bringing about.”

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to funny?

• funnily (adverb)
• funniness (noun)
• unfunnily (adverb)
• unfunniness (noun)

What are some synonyms for funny?

• comical
• humorous
• silly
• facetious
• odd
• peculiar
• strange
• curious

What are some words that share a root or word element with funny? 

• fun
• funnyman
• funny bone
• funny business
• funny farm

What are some words that often get used in discussing funny?

• comedy
• humor
• jokes
• laughter

How is funny used in real life?

Funny is a very common word with several different meanings. It is most often used to mean something or someone that makes people laugh.

Meet the Parents is such a funny movie

— Deligracy (@Deligracy) November 12, 2019

Ooooh something funny is happening to my mentions. And I mean funny weird and not funny ha ha!

— Maria Duffy (@mduffywriter) April 19, 2011

Been wondering why my apple juice tastes funny. I just noticed the bottle says, "with grape"…..oh.

— cat (@catrific) December 6, 2014

 

 

Try using funny!

If something is funny, it will most likely cause you to:

A. cry
B. laugh
C. scream
D. think