FUN Synonyms: 305 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the noun 'fun' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fun are game , jest , play , and sport . While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose. // played cards just for fun

Q: How do 'game' and 'sport' relate to one another, in the sense of 'fun'?

Game is close to sport , and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun. // made game of their poor relations

Q: When can 'jest' be used instead of 'fun'?

The words jest and fun can be used in similar contexts, but jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing. // hurt by remarks said only in jest

Q: When might 'play' be a better fit than 'fun'?

In some situations, the words play and fun are roughly equivalent. However, play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief. // pretended to strangle his brother in play

Q: In what contexts can 'sport' take the place of 'fun'?

The synonyms sport and fun are sometimes interchangeable, but sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone. // teasing begun in sport led to anger

fun 1 of 3

noun

ˈfən

Definition of fun next

as in entertainment

someone or something that provides amusement or enjoyment theme parks with their rides, shows, and games are great fun for the whole family

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in play

an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously when I said that playing the piano like that could get you arrested, I only said it in fun

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as in relaxation

activity engaged in to amuse oneself came outside to where we were playing touch football and joined the fun

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as in commotion

a state of noisy, confused activity the fun really began when the deer broke out of its pen and started wandering down the street

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fun

2 of 3

adjective

as in amusing

providing amusement or enjoyment there were so many fun things to do at summer camp that the kids really hated to leave

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fun

3 of 3

verb

as in to joke

to make jokes just a couple of old friends funning with each other

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fun people

friendly people

cool people

happy people

interesting people

festive people

fun appetizers

yummy appetizers

delicious appetizers

tasty appetizers

fancy appetizers

creative appetizers

fun neighborhoods

quirky neighborhoods

lively neighborhoods

trendy neighborhoods

charming neighborhoods

cool neighborhoods

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun fun differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fun are game, jest, play, and sport. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

How do game and sport relate to one another, in the sense of fun?

Game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

When can jest be used instead of fun?

The words jest and fun can be used in similar contexts, but jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

When might play be a better fit than fun?

In some situations, the words play and fun are roughly equivalent. However, play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

In what contexts can sport take the place of fun?

The synonyms sport and fun are sometimes interchangeable, but sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

Examples of fun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This fun little machine also has old-fashioned knobs for adjusting the machine’s temperature, programming volumes, etc., and the display shows the temperature as a dial, along with various other icons. —

Terri Williams, Architectural Digest, 13 Sep. 2024 The layout includes buddy quarters (guest cabins) and a wardroom (salon) with an opening roof, as well as a scramble station (helm) and a fun store (gym). —

Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 13 Sep. 2024

Adjective

The first snap in the carousel, which also included fun videos from the outing, showed Sweeney posing in front of the Universal Studios arch with Davino and five of their friends. —

Raven Brunner, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2024 Lamorne Morris’ Fargo win was also a fun curveball, but genuine surprises like that were few and far between. —

Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fun

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.