funny

1 of 3

adjective

fun·​ny ˈfə-nē How to pronounce funny (audio)
funnier; funniest
Synonyms of funny
1
a
: causing 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
a
: 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.
b
: not well
my stomach feels funny
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 3

noun (1)

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

funniness

3 of 3

noun (2)

fun·​ni·​ness -nēnə̇s How to pronounce funniness (audio)
-nin-
plural -es
: the quality or state of being funny

Synonyms of funny

Relevance

Adjective

Noun (1)

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. There's something funny going on here. She has some funny ideas about how to run a company. “I can't find my keys.” “That's funny—they were here a minute ago.” My car has been making a funny noise lately. A funny thing happened to me the other day. It feels funny to be back here again. It's funny that you should say that—I was just thinking the same thing myself. Noun (1) reading the Sunday funnies is part of my weekend ritual let's can the funnies—we've got serious work to do here
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
The obligatory army of A-list funny people (Jerry Seinfeld, Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, Dave Chappelle operating at minimal annoyingness) assembles to praise him in this two-part doc from directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. — Judy Berman, Time, 8 July 2026 The spunky comedy streaming service couldn’t hit the mainstream enough to attract voters, despite some very funny programming. — William Earl, Variety, 8 July 2026
Noun
Lowbrow sources such as Sunday funnies, B movies, and advertisements are present but are more diffuse, rarely coalescing into obvious quotation. — Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026 The show is laugh-out-loud funny. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for funny

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

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

funniness
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 12 Jul. 2026.

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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

More from Merriam-Webster on funny

Nglish: Translation of funny for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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