humour

humour — noun

1. how amusing something is, or the ability to tell when a thing or situation is fu

1.nounB1
Definition

how amusing something is, or the ability to tell when a thing or situation is funny — for instance, a playful remark that makes people smile or a film that keeps an audience laughing.

Example

Adina has a dry sense of humour that makes her colleagues laugh during meetings.

collocation: dry sense of humour

The teacher's humour helped the students relax before their final exam.

Common collocations
  • sense of humour
  • dry / dark / wry / black humour
  • see the humour in something
  • have a good sense of humour
  • with humour
Synonyms
  • wit

    focuses on clever, quick, and sometimes sharp humour; more intellectual than general humour

  • comedy

    refers to a genre of entertainment (films, plays, shows) rather than a personal quality

  • amusement

    the feeling of being entertained rather than the quality that causes it

Antonyms
  • seriousness

    the opposite quality — being earnest and not seeking laughter

  • gravity

    formal; describes a situation so important or solemn that humour feels inappropriate

Grammar Patterns

have a sense of humour

with humour

see the humour in something

Usage Note

British spelling; the US spelling is 'humor'. This noun is uncountable — you cannot say 'a humour' to mean a funny quality. Instead use 'a sense of humour' for a person's personal style of finding things funny.

Common Mistakes

He has a very good humour.
He has a very good sense of humour.
'humour' is uncountable when referring to the quality of being amusing; use 'sense of humour' to describe a person's ability.
The movie was humour.
The movie was humorous / funny.
'humour' is a noun, not an adjective. Use 'humorous' or 'funny' to describe something that makes you laugh.

2. the particular mood or emotional state a person is in at a given time, especiall

2.nounB2
Definition

the particular mood or emotional state a person is in at a given time, especially one that affects how they interact with others.

Example

Hassan was in excellent humour after receiving good news from his doctor.

phrase: in excellent humour

The old man was in no humour for jokes after his long journey.

Common collocations
  • in good humour
  • in no humour for
  • ill humour
  • good humour returns
Synonyms
  • mood

    more common in everyday speech; less formal than 'humour' for this sense

  • temper

    often implies a tendency to become angry; narrower than 'humour'

  • disposition

    refers to a person's general, long-term character rather than a temporary state

Grammar Patterns

in a good/no humour

in no humour for something

good humour / ill humour

Usage Note

This sense is slightly formal in modern English. In everyday conversation, 'mood' is far more common than 'humour' for this meaning. Common in written narratives and formal descriptions. The phrase 'in no humour for something' is a fixed expression meaning 'not in the mood for'.

Common Mistakes

I am in a good humour today.
I am in a good mood today.
'mood' is the more natural choice in everyday spoken English; 'humour' for mood sounds literary or old-fashioned.

humour — verb

Word family

  • humorous
    adjectiveB2
  • humorist
    nounC1
  • humorless
    adjectiveC1
  • humorously
    adverbB2
  • good-humoured
    adjectiveB2
  • ill-humoured
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words relate to what people find amusing, but they differ in scope and tone. Humour is the broadest term — it covers any quality that makes people laugh or smile, from a friend's playful comment to a funny film scene. Wit is a sharper, more intellectual form of humour that relies on clever wordplay or surprising connections; a witty person is quick with language, not just generally funny. Comedy refers to a structured genre — stand-up shows, sitcoms, comic films — where humour is the main purpose. Sarcasm is a specific tone within humour: saying the opposite of what you mean, often with a cutting edge. For everyday use: 'humour' is the all-purpose choice. Example: 'Yan has a gentle humour that puts everyone at ease.' / 'Ezra's wit during the debate left the audience impressed.' / 'The comedy they watched last night was about a clumsy detective.'

humour ↗wit ↗comedy ↗sarcasm

Common collocations

Nouns

  • sense of humour
  • lack of humour
  • touch of humour

Adverbs

  • dryly humorous
  • darkly humorous
  • wryly humorous

Phrases

  • have a sense of humour
  • see the humour in something
  • with good humour
  • in no humour for

Prepositions

  • humour in
  • humour about
  • humour with

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

The word comes from Latin 'umor', meaning 'liquid' or 'fluid'. In medieval medicine, doctors believed that four bodily fluids — called the 'four humours' (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) — controlled a person's health and personality. The balance of these fluids was thought to determine someone's temperament: a cheerful person had 'good humour', while a gloomy one had 'bad humour'. Over time, the physical meaning faded and the emotional meaning stayed. By the 18th century, 'humour' also began to refer specifically to the quality of being funny, perhaps because a person's ability to see amusement in life was seen as a sign of their temperament.