funny

1 of 2

adjective

fun·​ny ˈfə-nē How to pronounce funny (audio)
funnier; funniest
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 adverb
funniness 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

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 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
Crandell, the Harvard physiatrist, is a funny, brainy, and upbeat clinician who treats people with amputations in the Spaulding Rehabilitation Center, a building overlooking Boston Harbor. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024 An Instax camera snaps photos throughout the night, the shots progressively funnier the more nog is consumed. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
Speaking of funnies, stop publishing ones that aren’t funny! Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2024 More nervously unsettling than laugh-out-loud funny, Iannucci’s style works well for his incredible cast, including Steve Buscemi, Paddy Considine, Jason Isaacs, Rupert Friend, Michael Palin, and Andrea Riseborough. Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 6 June 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near funny

Cite this Entry

“Funny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/funny. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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 adverb
funniness 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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