Funny
adj.joyful, energeticeveryday
What it means
Causing laughter or gentle amusement.
Reach for it when praising something that causes laughter or gentle amusement
Her funny story turned the travel delay into a shared joke.
Choose between these
7- playful
strong sustained laughter is an honest response
not when Hilarious overstates a mildly amusing line.
- warm
the effect is a smile or mild laughter
not when Amusing undersells something genuinely hilarious.
- warm
lightness and teasing matter more than jokes
not when Playful material may be charming without being funny.
- professional
the work intentionally uses comedy in a measured way
not when Humorous is restrained and may suggest wit rather than laughter.
- professional
clever language or observation creates the humor
not when Witty does not fit physical comedy or accidental funniness.
- literary
comical
appearance or events are laughably absurd
not when Comical can mock a person who did not intend to entertain.
- literary
dry, odd humor suits an understated voice
not when Droll sounds old-fashioned and is wrong for broad exuberant comedy.
Said against
4- serious
- unamusing
- dull
- humorless
It naturally appears in
3- funny story
Her funny story eased the delay.
- genuinely funny
The final scene is genuinely funny without mocking anyone.
- funny remark
One funny remark restored the group's ease.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective humorous sense: causing laughter opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.