funny

1 of 2

adjective

fun·​ny ˈfə-nē How to pronounce funny (audio)
funnier; funniest
Synonyms of funnynext
1
a
: affording light mirth and laughter : amusing
His account of the war came in bits and pieces, sometimes bloody, sometimes funny.— Robert Penn Warren
b
: seeking or intended to amuse : facetious
Don't take him so seriously; he was just being funny.
2
: differing from the ordinary in a suspicious, perplexing, quaint, or eccentric way : peculiar
My car has been making a funny noise.
—often used as a sentence modifier
Funny, things didn't turn out the way we planned.
3
: involving trickery or deception
told his prisoner not to try anything funny
funnily
ˈfə-nə-lē How to pronounce funny (audio)
adverb
funniness
ˈfə-nē-nəs How to pronounce funny (audio)
noun
funny adverb

funny

2 of 2

noun

plural funnies ˈfə-nēz How to pronounce funny (audio)
1
: one that is funny
especially : joke
2
funnies plural : comic strips or the comic section of a periodical
—usually used with the

Synonyms

Adjective

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of funny in a Sentence

Adjective He told a funny story. He's a very funny guy. What are you laughing at? There's nothing funny about it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
Chuck Lorre is back with yet another laugh-out-loud funny show to add to his TV universe. — Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 31 July 2025 When something bad happens, five seconds later, something funny in life happens. — EW.com, 31 July 2025
Noun
There’s something about his ability to be both hypersensitive and judgmental, ambitious and full of self-doubt, dark and laugh-out-loud funny that has influenced my writing and thinking. — Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 20 June 2025 Loosely inspired by Skinner’s own experience, the eight-episode series strikes a difficult balance tonally, from laugh-out-loud funny to poignant to incredibly embarrassing and everything in between. — Katie Campione, Deadline, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for funny

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1852, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of funny was in 1739

Phrases Containing funny

Rhymes for funny

See All Rhymes for funny

Browse Nearby Words

funniment
funny
funny bone
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Funny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funny. Accessed 13 Aug. 2025.

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Kids Definition

funny

1 of 2 adjective
fun·​ny ˈfən-ē How to pronounce funny (audio)
funnier; funniest
1
: causing or intended to cause laughter
a funny story
2
: different from ordinary in a way that is odd, curious, or suspicious
it's funny you should ask
that's funny—they were here yesterday
there's something funny going on
3
: involving trickery
don't try anything funny
funnily
ˈfən-ᵊl-ē How to pronounce funny (audio)
adverb
funniness
ˈfən-ē-nəs How to pronounce funny (audio)
noun
funny adverb

funny

2 of 2 noun
plural funnies
1
: one that is funny
especially : joke entry 1 sense 1
2
plural : comic strips or the comic section of a newspaper
—usually used with the

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Nglish: Translation of funny for Spanish Speakers

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