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What is the Difference Between a double entendre and a pun?
The words double entendre and pun are both about double meanings. Double entendre, in fact, originated in an obsolete expression in French, which means “double meaning.” The origins of pun are less certain, but it likely traces to the Italian word puntiglio meaning “fine point, quibble.” In English, double entendre refers to a double meaning in which one meaning is usually shocking or risqué in its sexual suggestiveness. Pun usually has more to do with silly or humorous double meanings than with anything sexually suggestive or lewd.
Examples of pun in a Sentence
Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
But there’s always that surprise in the NFL each year, and perhaps the Browns can make a splash (pun intended).
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 July 2025
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 19 July 2025
Of course, Urinetown does deliver on all the lowbrow punning that starts with the title, but the show does contain plenty of cleverness, and reveals as much earnest heart as Gen-Xers might’ve allowed themselves in the late ’90s.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pun
Cite this Entry
“Pun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pun. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
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