humor

humor — noun

1. the word 'humour' as it is spelled in American English, with no letter 'u' after

1.nounA2
Definition

the word 'humour' as it is spelled in American English, with no letter 'u' after the 'o'

Example

Christopher writes 'humor' without the letter u because he learned American English.

US spelling variant: humor vs humour

The editor changed every 'humour' to 'humor' for the book's US edition.

Usage Note

This is not a separate meaning — the entry simply uses the US spelling. British English spells the same word 'humour.'

2. the ability of a situation, story, or person to make people laugh or feel amused

2.nounA2
Definition

the ability of a situation, story, or person to make people laugh or feel amused

Example

The comedian's dry humor kept the audience laughing for over two hours.

collocation: dry humor / dark humor / black humor

Liam saw the humor in his little brother's failed attempt to bake a cake.

Common collocations
  • dry humor
  • dark humor
  • black humor
  • gentle humor
  • wry humor
  • sense of humor
Synonyms
  • wit

    quicker, sharper, and often involves clever wordplay

  • comedy

    refers to a genre of entertainment rather than a quality

  • amusement

    focuses on the feeling of being entertained rather than the quality causing it

Antonyms
  • seriousness

    the absence of any funny quality

  • gravity

    a solemn quality that is the opposite of humor

Usage Note

Uncountable in this sense — you cannot say 'a humor' or 'many humors' when referring to funny quality.

Common Mistakes

The movie had many humors.
The movie had a lot of humor.
Humor is uncountable when referring to the quality of being funny.

3. a person's natural ability to notice, understand, and enjoy what is funny, or to

3.nounB1
Definition

a person's natural ability to notice, understand, and enjoy what is funny, or to make others laugh

Example

Faisal has a wonderful sense of humor and can cheer up anyone.

phrase: have a [adjective] sense of humor

A good sense of humor helps people get through difficult moments at work.

Common collocations
  • sense of humor
  • good sense of humor
  • dry sense of humor
  • wicked sense of humor
  • dark sense of humor
Synonyms
  • wit

    focuses on the ability to make quick, clever remarks rather than just find things funny

Antonyms
  • seriousness

    a personality trait opposite to finding things funny

Grammar Patterns

often used in the phrase 'sense of humor'

Usage Note

Nearly always used in the phrase 'sense of humor.' You can describe it as 'good,' 'dry,' 'dark,' 'wicked,' 'childish,' etc.

Common Mistakes

He has a good humor' (when describing his ability to find things funny).
He has a good sense of humor.
The ability to appreciate or express humor is expressed with 'sense of humor,' not 'humor' alone.

4. the way a person's feelings shift and affect their actions or reactions from one

4.nounB2
Definition

the way a person's feelings shift and affect their actions or reactions from one moment to the next

Example

The old gentleman was in a generous humor after winning the chess match.

phrase: in [adjective] humor

Romi was in bad humor after missing her early flight, so her colleagues stayed out of her way.

phrase: in [adjective] humor — temporary mood

Common collocations
  • in good humor
  • in bad humor
  • in no humor
  • in a forgiving humor
  • in a generous humor
Synonyms
  • mood

    more common in everyday English; less formal than humor

  • temper

    often refers to a person's tendency to become angry

  • disposition

    describes a person's general, lasting character rather than a temporary state

Grammar Patterns

in [adjective] humor

in no humor to + infinitive

Usage Note

More formal or literary than 'mood.' Frequently appears in fixed phrases such as 'in good humor,' 'in bad humor,' or 'in no humor to do something.'

Common Mistakes

I am in a humor today.
I am in a good mood today.
For everyday conversation, 'mood' sounds more natural than 'humor.'

5. in old medical beliefs, each of the substances inside a person — blood, phlegm,

5.nounC1
Definition

in old medical beliefs, each of the substances inside a person — blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile — that were supposed to decide health and character

Example

Ancient doctors thought an imbalance of the humors caused all kinds of illnesses.

historical: the four humors theory

Medieval texts describe four humors: blood, phlegm, and two kinds of bile.

Common collocations
  • four humors
  • balance of humors
  • imbalance of humors
  • theory of humors

Usage Note

This is a historical meaning. Outside of academic discussions of ancient or medieval medicine, the word is almost never used in this sense today. The term 'humors' in modern English usually refers back to this historical theory.

humor — verb

Word family

  • humorous
    adjectiveB1
  • humorously
    adverbB2
  • humorless
    adjectiveC1
  • humorlessness
    nounC2
  • humour
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Wit, comedy, and amusement all overlap with humor but differ in scope and register. Wit is sharper and more intellectual — it involves clever wordplay or unexpected connections, whereas humor can be warm, gentle, or physical. Comedy is a broader category: it refers to a genre of entertainment (films, plays, stand-up) designed to provoke laughter, while humor is the quality itself that makes something funny. Amusement focuses on the pleasant feeling of being entertained rather than the quality that causes it — you can feel amusement at something without calling it humor. For example: 'George's wit had everyone laughing at his clever puns, but the real humor of the evening came from his aunt's clumsy attempts to dance. The comedy show that followed provided endless amusement.'

wit ↗comedy ↗amusement ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • with humor
  • without humor
  • full of humor

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'humor' comes from Latin 'umor' meaning moisture or fluid. In medieval medicine, a person's health and temperament were thought to depend on the balance of four bodily fluids called 'humors.' Over time, the word shifted from referring to these fluids to describing a person's mood (since mood was determined by the humors), and eventually to the specific quality of being funny — a development that reflects the old belief that a cheerful temperament came from well-balanced humors. The spelling 'humor' is standard in American English, while British English retains 'humour' from the French-influenced spelling.