1 humorous | Definition of humorous
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humorous

adjective
hu·​mor·​ous | \ ˈhyüm-rəs How to pronounce humorous (audio) , ˈyüm-, ˈhyü-mə-, ˈyü-\

Definition of humorous

1a : full of or characterized by that quality which appeals to a sense of the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous : full of or characterized by humor : funny humorous stories shared a humorous anecdote
b : possessing, indicating, or expressive of an ability to be funny or to be amused by things that are funny : possessing, indicating, or expressive of a sense of humor a humorous writer studied his own life … with a shrewd and humorous eye— Harrison Smith
2 obsolete : humid
Other Words from humorous Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about humorous

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Other Words from humorous

humorously adverb
humorousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for humorous

witty, humorous, facetious, jocular, jocose mean provoking or intended to provoke laughter. witty suggests cleverness and quickness of mind. a witty remark humorous applies broadly to anything that evokes usually genial laughter and may contrast with witty in suggesting whimsicality or eccentricity. humorous anecdotes facetious stresses a desire to produce laughter and may be derogatory in implying dubious or ill-timed attempts at wit or humor. facetious comments jocular implies a usually habitual fondness for jesting and joking. a jocular fellow jocose is somewhat less derogatory than facetious in suggesting habitual waggishness or playfulness. jocose proposals

Examples of humorous in a Sentence

The book is very humorous. the humorous moments in an otherwise somber affair

Recent Examples on the Web

 Recently, someone encouraged Pina to post a video of his thumb to TikTok, which has become the go-to space for creating and sharing humorous video clips with music. — Steve Annear, BostonGlobe.com, "‘It’s real, dude’: Westport resident’s long thumb has made him famous on social media," 5 Sep. 2019 The life of American poet Emily Dickinson doesn't exactly scream comedy gold, but that didn't stop Apple TV+ from ordering Dickinson, a humorous new series about the 19th-century writer. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "Hailee Steinfeld Will Star as Emily Dickinson in the New Comedy Dickinson," 26 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'humorous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of humorous

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for humorous

see humor entry 1

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More Definitions for humorous

humorous

adjective
How to pronounce humorous (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of humorous

: causing laughter

See the full definition for humorous in the English Language Learners Dictionary

humorous

adjective
hu·​mor·​ous | \ ˈhyü-mə-rəs How to pronounce humorous (audio) , ˈyü-\

Kids Definition of humorous

: full of humor : funny

Other Words from humorous

humorously adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on humorous

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with humorous

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