/ ˈfʌni; NAmE / adjective
( fun·nier , fun·ni·est )
AMUSING
1.
making you laugh; amusing :
a funny story
That's the funniest thing I've ever heard.
It's not funny! Someone could have been hurt.
I was really embarrassed, but then I saw the funny side of it .
( ironic )
Oh very funny ! You expect me to believe that?
' What's so funny ?' she demanded.
HELP NOTE : Note that funny does not mean 'enjoyable':
The party was great fun.
The party was very funny.
STRANGE
2.
difficult to explain or understand
SYN strange , peculiar :
A funny thing happened to me today.
It's funny how things never happen the way you expect them to.
That's funny —he was here a moment ago and now he's gone.
The funny thing is it never happened again after that.
The engine's making a very funny noise.
I'm pleased I didn't get that job, in a funny sort of way.
SUSPICIOUS / ILLEGAL
3.
( informal ) suspicious and probably illegal or dishonest :
I suspect there may be something funny going on.
If there has been any funny business , we'll soon find out.
WITHOUT RESPECT
4.
( BrE ) humorous in a way that shows a lack of respect for sb
SYN cheeky :
Don't you get funny with me!
ILL / SICK
5.
( informal ) slightly ill / sick :
I feel a bit funny today—I don't think I'll go to work.
CRAZY
6.
( BrE , informal ) slightly crazy; not like other people
SYN strange , peculiar :
That Dave's a funny chap, isn't he?
She went a bit funny after her husband died.
MACHINE
7.
( informal ) not working as it should :
My computer keeps going funny .
•
IDIOMS
- funny ha-ha
- funny peculiar
••
SYNONYMS
funny
amusing ♦ entertaining ♦ witty ♦ humorous ♦ comic ♦ hilarious
These words all describe sb/sth that makes you laugh or smile.
funny
that makes you laugh:
a funny story
•
He was a very funny guy.
amusing
funny and enjoyable:
It's a very amusing game to play.
entertaining
amusing and interesting:
It was a very entertaining evening.
witty
clever and amusing; able to say or write clever and amusing things:
a witty remark
•
a witty public speaker
humorous
funny and entertaining; showing a sense of humour:
a humorous look at the world of fashion
comic
that makes you laugh:
Many of the scenes in the book are richly comic.
hilarious
extremely funny
funny, amusing, humorous or comic?
Amusing is the most general of these words because it includes the idea of being enjoyable as well as making people laugh and can be used to describe events, activities and occasions:
an amusing party / game / evening
• a funny / humorous / comic party / game / evening . Humorous is not quite as strong as funny or comic and is more about showing that you see the humour in a situation, than actually making people laugh out loud. Comic is used to talk especially about writing and drama or things that are funny in a deliberate and theatrical way. It is not used to describe people (except for comic writers ). Funny can describe people, jokes and stories, things that happen, or anything that makes people laugh.
PATTERNS AND COLLOCATIONS :
to be funny / amusing / entertaining / witty / humorous / comic / hilarious
to find sth funny / amusing / entertaining / witty / humorous / comic / hilarious
very / quite funny / amusing / entertaining / witty / humorous / comic
really funny / amusing / entertaining / witty / humorous / comic / hilarious
extremely funny / amusing / entertaining / witty / humorous / comic