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adjective

humorous

HYOO-muh-ruhs
adjective
1
Funny or amusing; intended to make people laugh.
"He gave a humorous speech at his brother's wedding."
"The book takes a humorous look at office life."

How to Use Humorous

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSomething that's funny or written/said to get a laugh.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "humorless" (not funny at all) or misspell as "humourous" — UK English keeps the "u" in humour but drops it here: humorous.

UK vs US

Both UK and US English spell the adjective "humorous" (no "u"), even though UK keeps "humour" as a noun.

Common pairings
humorous tone humorous anecdote a humorous take

Word Forms

more humorous comparative, most humorous superlative

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

He gave a _____ speech at his brother's wedding.

Etymology

From Middle English humorous, built on humor + -ous.

Rhymes for humorous

See all rhymes for humorous →
Definitions: FreeDict original editorial