fun

American  

[fuhn] / fʌn /

noun

1. something that provides mirth or amusement.

   A picnic would be fun.

   Synonyms:

   gaiety, play, pleasure, merriment

2. enjoyment or playfulness.

   She's full of fun.

   Synonyms:

   gaiety, play, pleasure, merriment

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verb (used with or without object)

funned, funning

1. Informal. joke; kid.

adjective

funner, funnest

1. Informal. of or relating to fun, especially to social fun.

   a fun thing to do; really a fun person; the funnest game.

2. Informal. whimsical; flamboyant.

   The fashions this year are definitely on the fun side.

idioms

1. for / in fun, as a joke; not seriously; playfully.

   His insults were only in fun.

2. make fun of, to make the object of ridicule; deride.

   The youngsters made fun of their teacher.

3. like fun, certainly not; of doubtful truth.

   He told us that he finished the exam in an hour. Like fun he did!

fun British  

/ fʌn /

noun

1. a source of enjoyment, amusement, diversion, etc

2. pleasure, gaiety, or merriment

3. jest or sport (esp in the phrases in or for fun )

4. facetious amusement; frivolous activity

5. informal

   1. (adverb) quickly; vigorously

   2. (interjection) not at all! certainly not!

6. to ridicule or deride

7. (modifier) full of amusement, diversion, gaiety, etc

   a fun sport

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verb

1. informal (intr) to act in a joking or sporting manner

fun More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing fun

• for fun
• funny
• like fun
• make fun of
• more fun than a barrel of monkeys

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Etymology

Origin of fun

First recorded in 1675–85; dialectal variant of obsolete fon “to befool”; fond ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

He ran the 400 in 52.48 seconds as a freshman, focused more on having fun.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Saying too much more would spoil all of the fun to be had, but the banana is only the beginning.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

“We’re going to have a lot more fun in the coming months,” he said in front of the updated minivan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

“For the coffee-lover, the intricate ritual of coffee preparation adds fun and pleasure to life,” he argues.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

He would accept Magic for who she was, bossy yet playful, self-centered yet fun, but he would not forget who he was either.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el

Related Words

• celebration
• distraction
• enjoyment
• joke
• joy
• laughter
• pastime
• pleasure
• sport