funny
funny Lexical Profile
funny Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Causing laughter or amusement; humorous or comical.
"The comedian told a funny story that had the entire audience laughing."
Difficult to explain or understand; strange, odd, or suspicious.
"The car engine has been making a funny noise all morning."
Slightly unwell, faint, or queasy (used predicatively).
"After riding the spinning carnival attraction, he felt a bit funny and needed to sit down."
• adverb
In a strange, unusual, or abnormal way (informal).
"My computer has been acting funny ever since the software update."
• noun
North American Comic strips or the section of a newspaper devoted to comic strips (usually used in the plural 'the funnies').
"Every Sunday morning, my grandfather reads the funnies over a cup of coffee."
A joke or witty remark (informal).
"She made a quick funny to lighten the mood during the tense meeting."
Word Nuance & Usage
English speakers frequently distinguish between 'funny ha-ha' (humorous or comical) and 'funny peculiar' (strange, suspicious, or hard to explain). As an adverb, 'funny' is restricted to informal speech and fixed expressions like 'act funny' or 'look at someone funny'; in formal writing, 'funnily' (especially in 'funnily enough') or 'strangely' is preferred.
• Rhymes for funny
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-18th century as 'fun' plus the adjectival suffix '-y', originally meaning humorous or comical. The sense of 'strange, odd, or perplexing' developed in the early 19th century, likely influenced by the earlier meaning of 'fun' as a trick or hoax.