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Synonyms

funny farm

American  

noun

Slang.
  1. a psychiatric hospital.


funny farm British  

noun

  1. facetious a mental institution

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of funny farm

First recorded in 1960–65; funny 1 in the sense “strange, peculiar, odd” and farm in the sense “a place that serves a specified type of client”

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.

This subtle, amiable jailbird on temporary leave to the funny farm is saner than the men around him but he’s not necessarily brighter.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2023

Literary dementia seems dated now, but there was a time when a month in the funny farm was as de rigueur for budding writers as an MFA is now.

From Slate • Aug. 10, 2015

"I don't watch betting patterns and I think, if I did, I'd wind up in the funny farm."

From The Guardian • Jul. 19, 2012

His wacky onstage humor and macabre offstage antics have inspired the story that he is as strange as any of the characters he invents�one step away from the funny farm.

From Time Magazine Archive

And to everyone else, take it easy and hang tough. i was temporarily insane at the time See you smart guys at the funny farm.

From Underground by Dreyfus, Suelette