Word forms: comparative funnier, superlative funniest, plural funnies
1. adjective
Someone or something that is funny is amusing and likely to make you smile or laugh.
Wade was smart and not bad-looking, and he could be funny when he wanted to.
I'll tell you a funny story.
Synonyms: humorous, amusing, comical, entertaining More Synonyms of funny
2. adjective
If you describe something as funny, you think it is strange, surprising, or puzzling.
Children get some very funny ideas sometimes!
There's something funny about him.
It's funny how love can come and go.
Synonyms: peculiar, odd, strange, unusual More Synonyms of funny
3. adjective
If you feel funny, you feel slightly ill.
[informal]
My head had begun to ache and my stomach felt funny.
Synonyms: ill, poorly [informal], queasy, sick More Synonyms of funny
4. plural noun
The funnies are humorous drawings or a series of humorous drawings in a newspaper or magazine.
[US, informal]
Synonyms: joke [informal], crack [slang], quip, pun More Synonyms of funny
5.
See funny business
More Synonyms of funny
funny in British English
(ˈfʌnɪ)
adjectiveWord forms: -nier or -niest
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
nounWord forms: plural-nies
5. informal
a joke or witticism
Derived forms
funnily (ˈfunnily)
adverb
funniness (ˈfunniness)
noun
funny in American English
(ˈfʌni)
adjectiveWord forms: ˈfunnier or ˈfunniest
1.
causing laughter; laughable; amusing; humorous
2. Informal
a.
out of the ordinary; strange; queer
b. US
deceptive or tricky
noun US
3. Word forms: pluralˈfunnies Informal
a joke or witticism
Idioms:
get funny with
SYNONYMY NOTE: funny is the simple, general term for anything that excites laughter or mirth; , laughable applies to that which is fit to be laughed at and may connote contempt or scorn;that is , amusing which provokes smiles, laughter, or pleasure by its pleasant, entertaining quality;that is , droll which amuses one because of its quaintness or strangeness, or its wry or waggishhumor; , comic is applied to that which contains the elements of comedy (in a dramatic or literarysense) and amuses one in a thoughtful way; , comical suggests that which evokes laughter of a more spontaneous, unrestrained kind; , farcical suggests a broad comical quality based on nonsense, extravagantly boisterous humor,etc.
Derived forms
funnily (ˈfunnily)
adverb
funniness (ˈfunniness)
noun
Word origin
see fun & -y2
Examples of 'funny' in a sentence
funny
Did you ask for mustard and get a funny look?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
She found the process quite funny.
The Sun (2016)
The jokes were funny; the observations about single life refreshing.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The best sitcoms are based on the simple idea that the ideal way to treat any sensitive subject is to make it funny.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Sometimes sad, sometimes funny and always classy.
The Sun (2016)
What's the funniest thing that has happened to you as a lawyer?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Full of amazingly funny moments, it is brilliant.
The Sun (2016)
Not that anyone in the Burnley dressing room was in the mood to see the funny side.
The Sun (2016)
I thought you might do something funny on Vaz.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He said: 'It was a funny feeling.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He has a great body and a smile that makes me feel funny inside.
The Sun (2011)
This hugely enjoyable series gets funnier and funnier with each new outing.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This story is so funny it makes you want to cry.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The funny thing was he thought they were there for him!
The Sun (2008)
What was the funniest moment of the season and who were the best fans?
The Sun (2014)
Who is the funniest person you have encountered in skiing?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The way she throws her legs back over her head when she finds something funny.
The Sun (2009)
There are loads of funny jokes which makes it better than reading a book.
The Sun (2011)
Where have all the funny women gone?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Writing under a false name can have its funny side.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She was also very funny and very smart.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And hearing about blood and wounds does really make me feel most awfully funny.
E. Nesbit The Railway Children (1906)
His account makes for funny but troubling reading.
The Sun (2010)
But her recent move to the country seems to have done funny things to her.
The Sun (2009)
Viewers can also vote for their favourite funny moments.
The Sun (2008)
She was virtually born to have a terminal disease and she was very classy with it and quite funny.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It took four series for us to realise they might be quite funny if we shoved them together on location.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
You get the odd funny look.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Is the new series funnier then?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They thought it was extremely funny; it really made them smile.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
You'll probably get back less funny money to take on holiday.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
He said: 'It was so funny.
The Sun (2012)
One of the handful of spectators who watched me on stage observed: 'It was funny the way you seemed to be getting so annoyed with yourself.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
funny
British English: funny /ˈfʌnɪ/ ADJECTIVE
amusing If something is funny, it makes you laugh.
He told me a funny joke.
American English: funny
Arabic: مُضْحِك
Brazilian Portuguese: engraçado
Chinese: 好笑的
Croatian: smiješan
Czech: legrační
Danish: sjov
Dutch: grappig
European Spanish: gracioso
Finnish: huvittava
French: drôle
German: witzig
Greek: αστείος
Italian: divertente
Japanese: 面白い
Korean: 우스운
Norwegian: morsom
Polish: zabawny
European Portuguese: engraçado
Romanian: amuzant
Russian: забавный
Latin American Spanish: gracioso
Swedish: rolig
Thai: ตลก
Turkish: komik
Ukrainian: смішний
Vietnamese: buồn cười
British English: funny /ˈfʌnɪ/ ADJECTIVE
strangeFunny means strange.
The car is making a funny noise.
American English: funny
Arabic: غَرِيب
Brazilian Portuguese: estranho
Chinese: 奇怪的
Croatian: neobičan
Czech: divný
Danish: underlig
Dutch: vreemd
European Spanish: raro
Finnish: kummallinen
French: étrange
German: komisch
Greek: παράξενος
Italian: strano
Japanese: 変な
Korean: 괴상한
Norwegian: rar
Polish: dziwny
European Portuguese: estranho
Romanian: ciudat
Russian: смешной
Latin American Spanish: extraño
Swedish: konstig
Thai: แปลกประหลาด
Turkish: garip
Ukrainian: дивакуватий
Vietnamese: kỳ lạ
All related terms of 'funny'
funny car
a type of racing vehicle used on a drag strip, that resembles a standard automobile except in having large rear tires and a one-piece fiberglass body that must be raised for access
funny bone
Your funny bone is the soft part of your elbow which gives you an uncomfortable feeling on your skin if it is hit .
funny book
→ comic book
funny farm
a psychiatric hospital
funny girl
a woman who is funny or who is a comedian
funny money
a sum of money so large as to be considered unreal
funny noise
Noise is a loud or unpleasant sound.
funny paper
a section or separate supplement of a newspaper , etc, containing comic strips
funny side
A particular side of something such as a situation or someone's character is one aspect of it.
funny story
A story is a description of an event or something that happened to someone, especially a spoken description of it.
funny thing
You can use thing to refer to any object, feature, or event when you cannot, need not, or do not want to refer to it more precisely .
funny episode
An episode of something such as a series on radio or television or a story in a magazine is one of the separate parts in which it is broadcast or published .
funny business
Funny business is dishonest or unacceptable behaviour.
funny cigarette
a junction of two or more parts or objects
funny handshake
an elaborate handshake , indicating that someone belongs to a certain social group, etc
get funny with
to be impudent to
jokes are funny
A joke is something that is said or done to make you laugh , for example a funny story.
Chinese translation of 'funny'
funny
(ˈfʌnɪ)
adj
(= amusing) 可笑的 (kěxiào de)
(= strange) 奇怪的 (qíguài de)
to feel funny (inf, = unwell) 稍感不适(適) (shāo gǎn bùshì)
1 (adjective)
Definition
causing amusement or laughter
I'll tell you a funny story.
Synonyms
humorous
a humorous magazine
amusing
He had a great sense of humour and could be very amusing.
comical
entertaining
This is a surprisingly entertaining film.
killing (informal)
rich
That's rich, coming from him.
comic
silly
ridiculous
It was an absolutely ridiculous decision.
diverting
absurd
They go to absurd lengths just to avoid paying a few pounds.
jolly
She was a jolly, kindhearted woman.
witty
one of those genuinely witty speakers to whom one could listen for hours
hilarious
He had a fund of hilarious tales.
ludicrous
It's a completely ludicrous idea.
laughable
Groucho's laughable view of human pomp
farcical
from farcical humour to deepest tragedy
slapstick
riotous
droll
The band have a droll sense of humour.
risible (formal)
His claim is risible for its patent untruth.
facetious
Are you going to listen or just make facetious remarks?
jocular
I was in a less jocular mood than usual.
side-splitting
waggish
jocose (old-fashioned)
His conversation is carefully maintained at a level of jocose pomposity.
Opposites
serious
, grave,
stern
,
sober
,
melancholy
,
solemn
,
humourless
,
unfunny
2 (adjective)
Definition
causing amusement or laughter
She could be funny when she wanted to be.
Synonyms
comic
The novel is both comic and tragic.
comical
The whole situation suddenly struck her as being comical.
a scream
a card (informal)
a caution (informal)
3 (adjective)
Definition
peculiar or odd
There's something funny about that pair.
Synonyms
peculiar
She has a very peculiar sense of humour.
odd
Something odd began to happen.
strange
There was something strange about the flickering blue light.
unusual
rare and unusual plants
remarkable
He was a remarkable man.
bizarre
That book you lent me is really bizarre.
puzzling
curious
A lot of curious things have happened here in the past few weeks.
weird
I had such a weird dream last night.
mysterious
He died in mysterious circumstances.
suspicious
Four people have died in suspicious circumstances.
dubious
queer
If you ask me, there's something queer going on.
rum (British, slang)
It was a rum sort of joke.
quirky
We've developed a reputation for being quite quirky and original.
perplexing
The procedure is perplexing at the best of times.
4 (adjective)
Definition
faint or ill
(informal)
My head ached and my stomach felt funny.
Synonyms
ill
He was seriously ill with pneumonia.
poorly (informal)
I've just phoned Julie and she's still poorly.
queasy
He was prone to sickness and already felt queasy.
sick
She's very sick.
odd
crook (Australian, New Zealand, informal)
He admitted to feeling a bit crook.
ailing
I stopped working to care for my ailing mother.
queer
unhealthy
a poorly dressed, unhealthy looking fellow with a poor complexion
seedy (informal)
All right, are you? Not feeling seedy?
unwell
He felt unwell as he was being driven back to his office.
out of sorts (informal)
At times, he has seemed lifeless and out of sorts.
off-colour (informal)
She felt off-colour but did not have any dramatic symptoms.
under the weather (informal)
I'm feeling a bit under the weather today.
(noun)
When I played against him, he kept cracking funnies all the time.
Synonyms
joke (informal)
No one told worse jokes than Claus.
crack (slang)
He made a nasty crack about her weight.
quip
a deadpan quip
pun
The title of the book is a pun on his name.
jest
It was a jest rather than a reproach.
wisecrack
He kept making wisecracks about her weight.
witticism
This witticism produced a burst of raucous laughter.
play on words
Additional synonyms
in the sense of absurd
Definition
obviously senseless or illogical
They go to absurd lengths just to avoid paying a few pounds.
Synonyms
ridiculous,
crazy (informal),
silly,
incredible,
outrageous,
foolish,
unbelievable,
daft (informal),
hilarious,
ludicrous,
meaningless,
unreasonable,
irrational,
senseless,
preposterous,
laughable,
funny,
stupid,
farcical,
illogical,
incongruous,
comical,
zany,
idiotic,
nonsensical,
inane,
dumb-ass (slang),
cockamamie (slang, US)
in the sense of ailing
Definition
unwell or unsuccessful over a long period
I stopped working to care for my ailing mother.
Synonyms
ill,
suffering,
poorly (informal),
diseased,
sick,
weak,
crook (Australian, New Zealand, informal),
feeble,
invalid,
debilitated,
sickly,
unwell,
infirm,
off colour,
under the weather (informal),
indisposed
in the sense of amusing
He had a great sense of humour and could be very amusing.
Synonyms
funny,
humorous,
gratifying,
laughable,
farcical,
comical,
droll,
interesting,
pleasing,
charming,
cheering,
entertaining,
comic,
pleasant,
lively,
diverting,
delightful,
enjoyable,
cheerful,
witty,
merry,
gladdening,
facetious,
jocular,
rib-tickling,
waggish
Synonyms of 'funny'
funny
Explore 'funny' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of unwell
Definition
not healthy
He felt unwell as he was being driven back to his office.
Synonyms
ill,
poorly (informal),
sick,
crook (Australian, New Zealand, informal),
ailing,
unhealthy,
sickly,
out of sorts,
off colour,
under the weather (informal),
in poor health,
at death's door,
indisposed,
green about the gills
in the sense of weird
Definition
suggestive of the supernatural
I had such a weird dream last night.
Synonyms
strange,
odd,
unusual,
bizarre,
ghostly,
mysterious,
queer (archaic),
unearthly,
eerie,
grotesque,
supernatural,
unnatural,
far-out (slang),
uncanny,
spooky (informal),
creepy (informal),
eldritch (poetic)
in the sense of wisecrack
Definition
a clever, amusing, sometimes unkind, remark
He kept making wisecracks about her weight.
Synonyms
joke,
sally,
gag (informal),
quip,
jibe,
barb,
jest,
witticism,
smart remark,
pithy remark,
sardonic remark
in the sense of witticism
Definition
a witty remark
This witticism produced a burst of raucous laughter.
Synonyms
quip,
sally,
pun,
one-liner (slang),
riposte,
pleasantry,
repartee,
epigram,
play on words,
bon mot,
clever remark,
witty remark
in the sense of witty
Definition
clever and amusing
one of those genuinely witty speakers to whom one could listen for hours