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.
Memes and Gen-Z humour helped fuel protests over education and jobs in July, which led to the resignation of India's education minister.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
"He had a warmth, a genuine sense of humour, he always made time for individuals and that's one of the tributes that has been said many times this morning," Knott told BBC Scotland News.
From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026
Trainor described the play as "full of heart and humour" and said he hoped it would "make a few lads think".
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
"We all make mistakes, we all forget things. It's not the end of the world. If you can go back and make a humour of it the audience are quite forgiving and accepting."
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
He was a lad of less than twenty summers, with a fine noble face and a sense of humour.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
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