- 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. Synonymsfunnyamusing entertaining witty humorous comic hilariousThese words all describe somebody/something 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 speakerhumorous funny and entertaining; showing a sense of humour:a humorous look at the world of fashioncomic that makes you laugh:Many of the scenes in the book are richly comic.hilarious extremely funnyfunny, 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 more about showing that you see the humour in a situation, than actually making people laugh out loud. Comic is used especially to talk 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 a(n) funny/amusing/entertaining/witty/humorous/comic story a(n) funny/amusing/entertaining/witty/humorous speech a(n) funny/entertaining/witty/humorous/comic writer a(n) funny/amusing/hilarious joke to find something funny/amusing/entertaining/witty/humorous/hilarious Wordfindercomedycaricature, comedy, funny, joke, parody, pun, sketch, slapstick, spoof, take-off Note that funny does not mean ‘enjoyable’:The party was great fun.The party was very funny. Oxford Collocations Dictionary verbsbe, look, seem, … adverbextremely, fairly, very, … See full entry strange
- 2 difficult to explain or understand synonym 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(British English) humorous in a way that shows a lack of respect for somebody synonym 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. See related entries: Being ill crazy
- 6(British English, informal) slightly crazy; not like other people synonym strange, peculiar That Dave's a funny chap, isn't he? She went a bit funny after her husband died. See related entries: Describing strange traits machine
- 7(informal) not working as it should My computer keeps going funny. Extra examples Didn’t it strike you as funny that Adam wasn’t there? Don’t you find it a bit funny that she never mentions her husband? He’s a funny little man. He’s not even remotely funny. Helen gave me a rather funny look. His performance was hilariously funny. It’s a funny old world, isn’t it? The movie gets funnier nearer the end. This wine tastes funny. You should have seen it—it was terribly funny! ‘What’s so funny?’ she demanded. He told us a funny story about his time in the army. He was a very funny guy as well as a kind person. I was really embarrassed, but then I saw the funny side of it. I’m pleased I didn’t get that job, in a funny sort of way. It’s funny how things never happen the way you expect them to. It’s not funny! Someone could have been hurt. That’s funny—he was here a moment ago and now he’s gone. That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. The engine’s making a very funny noise. The funny thing is it never happened again after that.Idioms
adjective jump to other results
BrE BrE//ˈfʌni//; NAmE NAmE//ˈfʌni//
(funnier, funniest) Describing strange traits, Being ill(informal) used to show that ‘funny’ is being used with the meaning of ‘amusing’
(informal) used to show that ‘funny’ is being used with the meaning of ‘strange’
Check pronunciation: funny
