INDEX:
1. when something or someone makes you laugh
2. a funny film, play etc
3. when the opposite of what is expected happens
4. how you feel when you think something is funny
5. the quality in someone or something that makes them funny
6. the ability to realize when something is funny
RELATED WORDS
unusual or strange : ↑ STRANGE
see also
↑ JOKE
↑ LAUGH
↑ SMILE
↑ SERIOUS
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1. when something or someone makes you laugh
▷ funny /ˈfʌni/ [adjective]
something or someone that is funny makes you laugh :
▪ It was the funniest story I’d ever heard.
▪ He can be pretty funny when he’s had a few drinks.
▪ The goat was chasing Mark round and round the field - it was so funny.
look funny
▪ You look really funny in that hat.
hilariously/hysterically funny
▪ Did you like ‘Notting Hill’? I thought it was hilariously funny.
▷ make somebody laugh /ˌmeɪk somebody ˈlɑːfǁ-ˈlæf/ [verb phrase not in passive]
to make someone laugh, for example by telling a joke or doing something funny :
▪ I must tell Jerry what you said - it’ll make him laugh.
▪ Charlie Chaplin was a great actor with a wonderful ability to make people laugh.
▪ It always makes me laugh when you look at me like that.
▷ amusing /əˈmjuːzɪŋ/ [adjective] especially written
funny and entertaining enough to make you smile :
▪ I like a newspaper with one or two amusing articles, as well as all the serious stuff.
▪ He was a really special person, gentle and amusing at the same time.
find something/somebody amusing
▪ Mrs Denton didn’t find it amusing when I spilt all the paint on the floor.
highly amusing
▪ My mother was embarrassed, but I found the situation highly amusing.
▷ humorous /ˈhjuːmərəsǁˈhjuː-, ˈjuː-/ [adjective]
intended to be amusing - use this especially about stories, descriptions, songs, and other things that people write :
▪ The book is a humorous account of a young man’s travels in South America.
▪ It was a brilliant speech - clear, precise and humorous.
▪ humorous birthday cards
▷ witty /ˈwɪti/ [adjective]
using words in a clever and amusing way :
▪ Sam is intelligent, witty, and great fun to be with.
▪ I enjoyed the play - it had a clever plot and a very witty script.
▷ hilarious /hɪˈle ə riəs/ [adjective]
extremely funny - use this about situations, jokes, and stories, but not about people :
▪ Our attempts at dancing were hilarious - we all kept tripping over each other.
▪ the hilarious BBC comedy series ‘Absolutely Fabulous’
▷ comical /ˈkɒmɪk ə lǁˈkɑː-/ [adjective] especially written
funny in a strange or unexpected way, although not always intended to be :
▪ Carlo looked so comical, striding along in a coat which nearly touched the ground.
▪ The puffin is an unusual sea bird, and there is something almost comical about the way it moves and looks.
▪ Lizzie, bouncing along on the donkey, made a comical sight.
comically [adverb]
▪ He bowed comically and asked my sister to dance.
▷ light-hearted /ˌlaɪt ˈhɑːʳtə̇d◂/ [adjective]
funny in a gentle way, and often about a subject that is usually serious :
▪ We always try to keep our newsletter light-hearted, so that people will enjoy it.
▪ The light-hearted way in which the author has approached this book should take some of the hard work out of trying to lose weight.
take a light-hearted look at something
▪ The film takes a light-hearted look at life in prison.
light-heartedly [adverb]
▪ Somehow, Moore manages to deal light-heartedly with subjects such as death and illness.
▷ be a laugh /biː ə ˈlɑːfǁ-ˈlæf/ [verb phrase] informal
if a person or activity is a laugh, they are amusing and give you a lot of fun :
▪ There were about 100 people there and it was a laugh from beginning to end .
a real laugh
spoken
▪ Wait until you meet Tony. He’s a real laugh.
be a laugh a minute
be very amusing
▪ We all had to sleep in one tent and it was a laugh a minute.
▷ be a hoot /biː ə ˈhuːt/ [verb phrase] informal
if a person, situation, performance, film etc is a hoot, they are very funny and enjoyable :
▪ The movie has a script that is smartly funny, and Hugh Grant is a hoot!
▪ At the end of the day, there was the moms’ soccer match, which was a hoot!
2. a funny film, play etc
▷ comedy /ˈkɒmɪdi, ˈkɒmədiǁˈkɑː-/ [countable noun]
a film, play, TV programme etc that is intended to entertain people and make them laugh :
▪ ‘One Fine Day’ was a romantic comedy with George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer.
comedy programme/series/show
▪ a comedy show on Channel 4
black comedy
one that is funny about things such as death
▪ The movie’s a black comedy about a pair of junkie musicians who are trying to kick the drug habit.
▷ comic /ˈkɒmɪkǁˈkɑː-/ [adjective only before noun]
intended to entertain people and make them laugh :
▪ Streep provided one of the best comic performances of her career.
comic writer/actor/performer etc
one who writes or performs things that make you laugh
▪ Like all comic writers, Shaw was fascinated by the gap between appearance and reality.
comic verse/song
that entertains you and makes you laugh
▪ Then Gertie got up on the stage and delighted us all by singing a comic song.
comic relief
something funny in a serious story
▪ In Shakespeare’s Henry IV, the character of Falstaff provides us with a little comic relief.
3. when the opposite of what is expected happens
▷ ironic /aɪˈrɒnɪkǁ-ˈrɑː-/ [adjective]
something that is ironic is funny, but in a sad or strange way, because it is the opposite of what you would expect :
▪ ‘I’ve heard that Dan’s really upset about the divorce.’ ‘How ironic. He was always the one who was against them getting married in the first place.’
▪ It was an ironic situation, the two men in her life meeting like that.
it is ironic that
▪ It’s ironic that the most important people in the country often have so little understanding of how ordinary people live.
ironically [adverb]
▪ Ironically, the government ended up harming the very people it was trying to help.
▷ irony /ˈaɪ ə rəni/ [countable/uncountable noun]
something that is funny, but in a sad or strange way, because it is the opposite of what you would expect :
▪ Life is full of ironies, some hilarious, some tragic.
irony of
▪ The irony of the situation was obvious -- if I told the truth, nobody would believe me!
the irony is that
▪ The irony is that some of the poorest countries have the richest natural resources.
4. how you feel when you think something is funny
▷ amused /əˈmjuːzd/ [adjective not usually before noun]
if you are amused by something, you think it is funny and it makes you smile :
▪ When I told him what had happened, he sounded amused rather than annoyed.
amused by/at
▪ They seemed amused at his embarrassment.
greatly/highly amused
▪ My grandmother seemed to be highly amused by my remarks.
amused expression/smile/grin
▪ She stood watching them with an amused expression on her face.
▷ amusement /əˈmjuːzmənt/ [uncountable noun]
the feeling that you have when you think something is funny :
▪ This story is bound to cause some amusement in the anti-Campbell campaign.
watch/listen/notice etc with amusement
▪ Everyone was watching the little dog with interest and amusement.
amusement at
▪ Gloria couldn’t hide her amusement at what the children were saying.
in amusement
▪ ‘You must be joking!’ Mum said, her lips curling in amusement.
(much) to somebody’s amusement
making them feel very amused
▪ Suddenly, the teacher’s chair collapsed, much to everyone’s amusement.
5. the quality in someone or something that makes them funny
▷ humour British humor American /ˈhjuːməʳǁˈhjuː-, ˈjuː-/ [uncountable noun]
the quality or thing in a situation, book, remark etc that makes it funny :
▪ Everyone laughed except Dad, who obviously didn’t appreciate the humour of the situation.
▪ The most popular children’s books are ones that have plenty of humor in them.
black humour
about things such as death and violence
▪ Tom Lehrer’s black humor offended some people, who found jokes about such subjects as nuclear war unacceptable.
▷ comedy /ˈkɒmɪdi, ˈkɒmədiǁˈkɑː-/ [uncountable noun]
the quality in a book, film, television programme etc that is intended to entertain people and make them laugh :
▪ It was a brilliant play - full of drama, and both sadness and comedy.
▪ Much of the comedy in Pratchett’s books comes from the clever way he plays around with words and ideas.
▷ wit /wɪt/ [uncountable noun]
the ability to use words and express ideas in a clever and amusing way, especially when it is shown in conversation or writing :
▪ He seemed to have everything you could want in a man -- intelligence, wit, good looks and charm.
▪ The wit and irony of the original novel has been lost in the film version.
6. the ability to realize when something is funny
▷ sense of humour British /sense of humor American /ˌsens əv ˈhjuːməʳ/ [countable noun usually singular]
your ability to understand and enjoy jokes, funny situations etc :
▪ Mr Hardman was a popular teacher, renowned for his sense of humor.
have a (good/great/strange etc) sense of humour
▪ I like Ann - she has such a good sense of humour.
lose your sense of humour
▪ Maybe I’m losing my sense of humor but I didn’t find it at all funny.
▷ can take a joke /kən ˌteɪk ə ˈdʒəʊk/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
to be able to laugh and not get angry when other people make jokes about you or do something that makes you look stupid :
▪ I hope he can take a joke - have you seen what they’ve done to his car?
▪ You may find army life difficult if you can’t take a joke.
▷ see the funny side of /ˌsiː ðə ˈfʌni saɪd ɒv/ [verb phrase]
to realize that a situation that seems to be bad is also funny :
▪ I explained that it was all my fault and fortunately she saw the funny side of the situation.
see the funny side of it
▪ As a teacher, things often go wrong, and you have to be able to see the funny side of it.
see the funny side of life
▪ A cartoonist’s job is all about making people see the funny side of life.
▷ can laugh /kən ˈlɑːfǁ-ˈlæf/ [verb phrase]
to be able to laugh and joke about your own mistakes and faults or about past experiences which did not seem funny when they were happening :
▪ We can laugh now, but at the time it seemed like the end of the world.
can laugh at yourself
▪ Don’t take yourself too seriously -- it’s a good thing if you can laugh at yourself sometimes.