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Synonyms

humorous

1 American  
[hyoo-mer-uhs, yoo-] / ˈhyu mər əs, ˈyu- /

adjective

  1. characterized by humor; funny; comical.

    a humorous anecdote.
    Synonyms:
    laughable, ludicrous
    Antonyms:
    serious, sober, solemn

  2. having or showing the faculty of humor; droll; facetious.

    a humorous person.
    Synonyms:
    comical, comic, jocular, jocose
    Antonyms:
    serious, sober, solemn
humorous 2 American  
[hyoo-mer-uhs, yoo-] / ˈhyu mər əs, ˈyu- /

adjective

  1. Archaic. moist; wet.

  2. pertaining or due to the bodily humors.

humorous British  
/ ˈhjuːmərəs /

adjective

  1. funny; comical; amusing

  2. displaying or creating humour

  3. archaic another word for capricious

"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

Related Words

Humorous, witty, facetious, waggish imply something that arises from cleverness or a sense of fun. Humorous implies a genuine sense of fun and the comic, impersonal, or gently personal: a humorous version of an incident; a humorous view of life. Witty implies quickness to perceive the amusing, striking, or unusual and to express it cleverly and entertainingly; it sometimes becomes rather sharp and unkind, particularly in quick repartee of a personal nature: a witty and interesting companion; to be witty at someone else's expense. Facetious suggests a desire or attempt to be jocular or witty but not to be taken seriously: a facetious remark. Waggish suggests the spirit of sly mischief and roguery of the constant joker, with no harm intended: a waggish good humor.

Other Word Forms

  • humorously adverb
  • humorousness noun

Etymology

Origin of humorous1

First recorded in 1570–80; humor + -ous

Origin of humorous2

1375–1425; late Middle English < Late Latin ( h ) ūmōrōsus; humor, -ous

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.

Zhang had a charismatic and humorous style that made such complex information easy to digest - and his career took off from there.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

I wanted to not show the humorous side.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Morrison saw the potential for a humorous self-help book.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

An Italian doctors' association on Friday praised US ski star Lindsey Vonn's sister for recognising the "beauty" of Italian emergency room medical staff after she posted some humorous advice on social media.

From Barron's • Feb. 20, 2026

What I’m experiencing here is a good beginning to an interesting life, and that’s the reason—the only reason—why I have to laugh at the humorous side of the most dangerous moments.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

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.