Humorous
What it means
Designed or inclined to make people see something as amusing.
Reach for it when describing a person, story, or observation that invites laughter
Her humorous account of the detour kept the delayed passengers relaxed.
Words to choose between 8
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
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everyday
Fits when direct, ordinary language for causing laughter is best
Careful Funny can also mean strange or suspicious, a meaning humorous avoids.
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everyday
Fits when the laughter is unusually strong
Careful Hilarious overstates a dry smile or quietly clever line.
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warm
Fits when a cheerful absence of heaviness is the benefit
Careful Lighthearted material need not be humorous enough to make anyone laugh.
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warm
Fits when lightness and gentle fun matter more than actual laughs
Careful Playful behavior can be energetic without containing a joke.
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professional
Fits when quick verbal cleverness creates the amusement
Careful Witty is wrong for broad physical comedy or accidental humor.
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formal
Fits when the effect is pleasantly entertaining rather than uproarious
Careful Amusing may be faint praise for someone known for sharp humor.
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literary
comical
Fits when appearance or action seems exaggeratedly funny
Careful It can make a serious person or mishap sound ridiculous.
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literary
Fits when odd, restrained humor is delivered with a straight face
Careful Its uncommon tone may obscure the compliment in casual writing.
Opposites 3
- serious
- humorless
- dreary
Common phrases 3
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humorous story
His humorous story turned a missed train into the evening's best memory.
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humorous person
A humorous person can ease tension without making anyone the target.
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humorous observation
Her humorous observation about the tiny lift made the whole group smile.
Word family 1
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Troll Control, British accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated