humorist
Americannoun
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a person who is skillful in the use of humor, as in writing, talking, or acting.
-
a person with an active sense of humor.
noun
Other Word Forms
- humoristic adjective
- humoristical adjective
Etymology
Origin of humorist
First recorded in 1580–1590; from French humoriste “capricious person,” equivalent to humour (from English ) + -iste noun suffix; humor ( def. ), -ist; compare Italian (h)umorista “capricious, subject to humors”
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
The actor and humorist Nick Offerman will appear on Thursday’s “Daily Show.”
From New York Times • May 16, 2024
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
To quote the American humorist Kin Hubbard, “It ain’t no disgrace to be poor, but it might as well be.”
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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.
