humorist
Americannoun
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a person who is skillful in the use of humor, as in writing, talking, or acting.
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a person with an active sense of humor.
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of humorist
First recorded in 1580–1590; from French humoriste “capricious person,” equivalent to humour (from English ) + -iste noun suffix; see origin at humor ( def. ), -ist; compare Italian (h)umorista “capricious, subject to humors”
Explanation
A humorist is a writer or speaker who tells stories about funny situations or experiences. Mark Twain was a famous American humorist. Being a humorist has a little in common with being a comedian, but they're not exactly the same. A humorist is a serious writer (or speaker) who uses humor to make a point or help readers see what's funny about specific situations or life in general. Comedians, on the other hand, are performers who tell jokes that are meant to make you burst out laughing immediately.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At 94, author and humorist Judith Viorst remains as feistily funny—and honest—as ever.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025
A humorist and actor, his folksy delivery artfully deflated politicians and pomposities.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2025
In a recent essay at the New York Times, author and humorist David Kamp engaged in some critical self-reflection about the wisdom of making fun of Donald Trump in a time of such peril.
From Salon • Feb. 9, 2024
In 1901 a fictional Chicago bartender named Mr. Dooley, the alter ego of the humorist Finley Peter Dunne, observed, “The Supreme Court follows the election returns.”
From Slate • Nov. 14, 2023
When the humorist James Thurber was writing for New Yorker editor Harold Ross in the 1930s and 1940s, the two men often had very strong words about commas.
From "Eats, Shoots & Leaves" by Author
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
