funny

funny — adjective

1. Making you smile or laugh by being entertaining or amusing.

1.adjectiveA1
Definition

Making you smile or laugh by being entertaining or amusing.

Example

Arjun told a funny story about his cat climbing the curtains, and everyone at the table laughed.

collocation: funny + story / joke / film / video

The film was so funny that Mayumi watched it three times in one week.

Common collocations
  • funny story
  • funny joke
  • funny video
  • funny film
  • funny moment
  • funny comment
Synonyms
  • humorous

    more formal; describes deliberate wit in writing, speech, or performance

  • amusing

    milder; causes pleasant entertainment without necessarily making you laugh out loud

  • comical

    suggests physical or visually exaggerated humour, like a clown's performance

  • hilarious

    much stronger than 'funny'; describes something extremely laugh-inducing

Antonyms
  • serious

    not intended to make anyone laugh

  • dull

    not interesting or entertaining in any way

Common Mistakes

That joke is very fun.
That joke is very funny.
'Fun' as an adjective means 'enjoyable', not 'causing laughter'; use 'funny' when something makes you laugh.

2. Not ordinary or expected, so it is hard to make sense of or causes surprise.

2.adjectiveA2
Definition

Not ordinary or expected, so it is hard to make sense of or causes surprise.

Example

Ilan noticed a funny smell coming from the kitchen and went to check the gas pipes.

collocation: funny + smell / sound / taste / feeling

Camille thought it was funny that her car would only start when it rained.

'it is funny that…' for unexpected situations

Common collocations
  • funny smell
  • funny sound
  • funny taste
  • funny feeling
  • funny look
  • funny business
Synonyms
  • strange

    neutral; describes anything unfamiliar or unexpected

  • odd

    slightly stronger; suggests something is not quite right

  • peculiar

    more formal; unusual in a distinctive or puzzling way

  • weird

    informal; suggests something uncanny or unnatural

Antonyms
  • normal

    exactly as one would expect

  • ordinary

    not unusual or remarkable in any way

Grammar Patterns

it is funny + that/how/when clause

Usage Note

This sense often occurs in impersonal structures: 'it is funny that/how/when…' or 'find it funny that/how…'. The subject is typically 'it' or a person doing the finding, not the strange thing itself.

Common Mistakes

I am funny that the train is late.
It is funny that the train is late.
'Funny' meaning 'strange' uses an impersonal structure ('it is funny that…'), not 'I am funny' (which is meaningless here).

3. Involving behaviour that is dishonest, illegal, or meant to trick someone, makin

3.adjectiveB1
Definition

Involving behaviour that is dishonest, illegal, or meant to trick someone, making you feel suspicious.

Example

Adisa suspected something funny was going on when the shop offered him half the usual price.

pattern: something funny (going on) = suspicious activity

Ezra refused to sign the contract because some of the terms looked funny to him.

Common collocations
  • funny business
  • something funny
  • looked funny
  • sounded funny
Synonyms
  • suspicious

    making you think something is wrong, though more formal

  • dodgy

    British informal; not honest, reliable, or safe

  • shady

    informal; of doubtful honesty, often used for deals and characters

Antonyms
  • honest

    truthful and not trying to trick anyone

  • above board

    completely legal and open, no hidden tricks

Grammar Patterns

something funny (going on)

funny business

Usage Note

Commonly used in the fixed expression 'funny business' (dishonest or suspicious activity) and the pattern 'something funny (going on)'. This sense describes situations or activities, not a person's general character — you would not say 'He is a funny person' to mean he is dishonest.

Common Mistakes

He is a funny man.' (meaning dishonest).
There was something funny about the deal.
When 'funny' means dishonest, it describes situations or transactions, not a person's character.

4. Showing through your expression, tone, or silence that you are annoyed, offended

4.adjectiveB1
Definition

Showing through your expression, tone, or silence that you are annoyed, offended, or unfriendly towards someone.

Example

Mateo gave his sister a funny look when she interrupted him for the third time that morning.

phrase: give + someone + a funny look = show annoyance

Grandma gets funny with us if we arrive late for Sunday lunch without calling first.

Common collocations
  • funny look
  • get funny
  • go funny
  • funny with someone
  • being funny
Synonyms
  • standoffish

    deliberately cold and unfriendly in manner

  • curt

    responding with very few words in a rude way

  • cold

    showing no warm feelings, emotionally distant

Antonyms
  • friendly

    kind and pleasant towards others

  • warm

    showing affection and approachable behaviour

Grammar Patterns

get/go funny with someone

give someone a funny look

Usage Note

Common in the patterns 'get funny with someone' (become annoyed/unfriendly towards someone) and 'go (all) funny' (suddenly become unfriendly or silent due to offence). The subject is always a person. This sense is informal and often appears in spoken English.

Common Mistakes

My boss was funny with me' (ambiguous — could mean humorous or unfriendly).
My boss got funny with me when I asked for a day off.
Add a trigger (when/after/because) to make the unfriendly meaning clear.

5. Experiencing a mild physical discomfort, such as a sick stomach, dizziness, or a

5.adjectiveA2
Definition

Experiencing a mild physical discomfort, such as a sick stomach, dizziness, or a strange feeling in your body.

Example

Bao felt funny after eating the spicy curry and had to lie down for a while.

pattern: feel + funny = feel slightly ill

The roller coaster left the child feeling funny in the stomach, so she sat down.

Common collocations
  • feel funny
  • feel a bit funny
  • feel all funny
  • funny feeling
  • funny in the stomach
Synonyms
  • queasy

    feeling as if you might vomit, more specific to the stomach

  • off-colour

    British informal; feeling slightly unwell without a specific symptom

  • under the weather

    idiomatic; slightly ill, often from a mild cold or tiredness

Antonyms
  • well

    in good health

  • fine

    feeling normal and healthy

Grammar Patterns

feel funny

feel a bit funny

Usage Note

Used only after linking verbs, especially 'feel' (and occasionally 'look'). Never placed before a noun in this sense — 'a funny stomach' does not mean a slightly ill stomach. The phrase 'all funny' adds emphasis to the feeling of discomfort.

Common Mistakes

I have a funny stomach.
I feel funny in my stomach.
In this sense, 'funny' follows 'feel'; it is not used attributively (before a noun).

6. Behaving in a way that is slightly strange, unusual, or eccentric, often in an a

6.adjectiveB2
Definition

Behaving in a way that is slightly strange, unusual, or eccentric, often in an amusing or harmless manner — for example, talking to plants or keeping a collection of bottle caps.

Example

Uncle Theo went a bit funny after retiring and started talking to plants.

pattern: go + funny = become eccentric

The old lady feeding the pigeons every morning is a little funny in the head.

phrase: funny in the head

Common collocations
  • go funny
  • a bit funny
  • a little funny
  • funny in the head
Synonyms
  • eccentric

    more formal; deliberately unconventional in a way that is noticeable but acceptable

  • quirky

    having unusual traits in an interesting or charming way

  • crackers

    British informal; slightly crazy, often used affectionately

Antonyms
  • sane

    mentally normal and rational

  • sensible

    having or showing good judgment and practicality

Grammar Patterns

go funny

a bit funny

funny in the head

Usage Note

Often used in 'go funny' (become eccentric) or 'a little/bit funny in the head'. This sense is informal and mild — it does not describe serious mental illness. It can also carry affection or amusement about someone's harmless quirks.

Idioms

funny ha-ha

idiom

This phrase emphasizes that something is amusing or makes you laugh.

The clown's performance was funny ha-ha, not just strange.

Did you find that joke funny ha-ha or just weird?

funny peculiar

idiom

This phrase emphasizes that something is odd or unusual rather than amusing.

The old house had a funny peculiar smell in the kitchen.

Maya's behavior seemed funny peculiar, not laughable at all.

funny — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Funny is the most general word and covers everything from a small smile to loud laughter. Humorous is more deliberate and intellectual — it describes things that show wit or cleverness, like a well-written essay or a sophisticated joke. Amusing suggests a milder, more pleasant effect — something that makes you smile or feel entertained without necessarily laughing out loud. Comical often refers to physically funny situations, such as a clumsy character slipping on a banana peel or someone's exaggerated facial expressions. Hilarious is the strongest — it means extremely funny and likely to make people laugh very hard or for a long time. For example: the children found the clown's silly tricks hilarious, while the adults found the play's witty dialogue more humorous. Choosing the right word depends on how much laughter you expect and whether the humour comes from intelligence, physical action, or simple pleasure.

funny ↗humorous ↗amusing ↗comicalhilarious ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • something funny
  • nothing funny
  • anything funny

Adverbs

  • very funny
  • quite funny
  • really funny
  • a bit funny
  • rather funny
  • extremely funny

Phrases

  • the funny thing is
  • funny enough
  • that's funny
  • how funny

Etymology

Middle EnglishEnglish

Funny comes from the noun 'fun' (meaning enjoyment or amusement) combined with the adjective suffix '-y'. The noun 'fun' itself is believed to have come from an older word 'fon', a Middle English term meaning 'fool' or 'foolish person'. So in its earliest uses, 'funny' actually meant 'foolish' before it gradually shifted to mean 'amusing' in the 1700s. The 'strange' meaning developed later, showing how words can move from describing something laughable to describing anything unusual.