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as in play
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously when I said that playing the piano like that could get you arrested, I only said it in fun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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fun

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adjective

fun

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verb

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fun people
friendly people
cool people
happy people
festive people
fun appetizers
yummy appetizers
delicious appetizers
tasty appetizers
fancy appetizers
creative appetizers
fun neighborhoods
quirky neighborhoods
lively neighborhoods
trendy neighborhoods
charming neighborhoods
cool neighborhoods

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun fun differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of fun are game, jest, play, and sport. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

How do game and sport relate to one another, in the sense of fun?

Game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

When can jest be used instead of fun?

The words jest and fun can be used in similar contexts, but jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

When might play be a better fit than fun?

In some situations, the words play and fun are roughly equivalent. However, play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

In what contexts can sport take the place of fun?

The synonyms sport and fun are sometimes interchangeable, but sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

Examples of fun in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Photo: Dean Hearne Use stronger colors in smaller rooms Spaces such as loos, hallways, and utility rooms are some of the best spots to have a bit of fun with daring wallpapers and colors. Elizabeth Metcalfe, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024 Kline’s performance is, by design, the biggest and boldest, and tremendous fun much of the time. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2024
Adjective
That could be credited to its wacky outdoors fun, challenging contestants to rediscover their inner kids by building vehicles to navigate outdoor obstacle courses. John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Oct. 2024 Yes, candy is fun and delicious but these surprising alternatives may just get your kids on board. Sarah Scott, Parents, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fun 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near fun

Cite this Entry

“Fun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fun. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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