humour
Americannoun
noun
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the quality of being funny
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Also called: sense of humour. the ability to appreciate or express that which is humorous
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situations, speech, or writings that are thought to be humorous
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a state of mind; temper; mood
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( in combination )
ill humour
good humour
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temperament or disposition
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a caprice or whim
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any of various fluids in the body, esp the aqueous humour and vitreous humour
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Also called: cardinal humour. archaic any of the four bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, choler or yellow bile, melancholy or black bile) formerly thought to determine emotional and physical disposition
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in a bad mood
verb
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to attempt to gratify; indulge
he humoured the boy's whims
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to adapt oneself to
to humour someone's fantasies
Spelling
See -or 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of humour
C14: from Latin humor liquid; related to Latin ūmēre to be wet, Old Norse vökr moist, Greek hugros wet
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.
"It's certainly given everyone something to talk about this weekend, mostly in good humour."
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
They described PC Clough as having a "fantastic sense of humour" and said he "jumped into action whenever needed", adding he was "our hero" and always "willing to help anyone for any reason".
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
But he thinks humour can help some people stand out at a time when communication is increasingly AI-driven.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
He arrives at election counts wearing a metallic dustbin-shaped helmet, a silver cape and silver-and-black armour and brandishing his razor-sharp, deadpan sense of humour.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Eventually the exercise and the monotony restored their good humour and they began to get bored.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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.
