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.
"I've been working in Japan since 1982. And when I first went there, there was one person who spoke schoolboy English. So, it was very much about communicating through gesture, drawings, but also humour."
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Darryl Smith, described as its founder and chief executive, is "the heart, humour, and unstoppable energy" behind the business, the website says.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
The new PM is said to be keen to adopt a "tonal shift" at the weekly half-hour session and will attempt to bring more humour to the occasion.
From BBC ● Aug. 29, 2026
Harald's "humour, humanity and sincerity made him a truly special man", Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026
He needed speed and had to humour unwilling followers.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
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.
