fun

noun \ ˈfən \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: fun in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Can something be funner or funnest?

Definition of fun

1 : what provides amusement or enjoyment; specifically : playful often boisterous action or speech

full of fun

2 : a mood for finding or making amusement

all in fun

3 a : amusement, enjoyment

sickness takes all the fun out of life

play games for fun

b : derisive jest : sport, ridicule

a figure of fun

They made fun of the way he talked.

4 : violent or excited activity or argument

Insults were exchanged and then the fun began.

See fun defined for English-language learners

See fun defined for kids

Examples of fun in a Sentence

I can't remember when I've had so much fun.
Sickness takes all the fun out of life.

Recent Examples of fun from the Web

Despite the large number of attendees, Gillson programming ran smoothly, Wilson said, as did the fun run the district held at the park Wednesday morning.

— kathy routliffe, chicagotribune.com, "Thousands enjoy Wilmette Independence Day events at Gillson Park," 5 July 2018
None of this is earth-shattering stuff, but that’s part of the fun.

— jake coyle, Detroit Free Press, "Review: 'Ant-Man' sequel is a less-is-more triumph," 5 July 2018
Ashley Nicole Black, who writes for the liberal comedy show Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, also got in on the fun.

— emily atkin, The New Republic, "Why Do Carrot Hot Dogs Make You So Mad?," 3 July 2018
The fun takes place on the Belvedere, right in the heart of downtown Louisville.

— for lg&e ku, The Courier-Journal, "Leave screen-time behind for these outdoor events," 3 July 2018
ShowYouSuck guests on the fun, funny track, which appears on Ash's second release, last September's Turn the World to Ash EP.

— leor galil, Chicago Reader, "Chicago neck breakers Nequient hit the road behind their scorching debut full-length," 3 July 2018
Taking in the fun and fabulous food were Candice Miller, Jamie Mizrahi, and Tracy Anderson.

— Vogue, "Goop Goes East: Gwyneth Paltrow and Cointreau Host a Hamptons Summer Kickoff," 3 July 2018
Join the fun at Barnacle Historic State Park at 3485 Main Highway, where there will be hot food, games and crafts.

— connie ogle, miamiherald, "Want to watch fireworks or go to a picnic or parade on the Fourth of July? Here’s where to go," 3 July 2018
Whether attendees are proud of the transplanted patriotism or find the display semi-ironic, everyone gets to be in on the fun.

— jordan cutler-tietjen, sacbee, "How some Sacramentans will celebrate Independence Day in a town 4,000 miles from U.S.," 1 July 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of fun

English dialect fun to hoax, perhaps alteration of Middle English fonnen, from fonne dupe

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1726

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

fun Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of fun

fun, jest, sport, game, play 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

jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

- hurt by remarks said only in jest

sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

- teasing begun in sport led to anger

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

- made game of their poor relations

play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

- pretended to strangle his brother in play

fun

verb

Definition of fun

funned; funning

intransitive verb

: to indulge in banter or play : joke

See fun defined for English-language learners

Examples of fun in a Sentence

He's just funning with you.
just a couple of old friends funning with each other

Recent Examples of fun from the Web

But here are some top spots to visit and fun things to do with your best friend.

— lainey seyler, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "8 places you can bring your dog around Milwaukee this summer," 16 May 2018
Wide-open acceleration might fun, but slowing down that speeding hunk of metal is much more important.

— alex leanse, Popular Mechanics, "10 Tire and Brake Problems All Drivers Need to Know," 23 Feb. 2017

Origin and Etymology of fun

see ¹fun

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1802

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

fun Synonyms

Synonyms

banter, chaff, fool, gag, jape, jest, jive, joke, jolly, josh, kid, quip, wisecrack;

Related Words

gibe (or jibe), haze, jeer, mock, rag, rally, razz, rib, ridicule, tease;

caricature, lampoon, parody, satirize;

amuse, divert, entertain;

Phrases

crack wise;

fun

adjective

Definition of fun

sometimes funner; sometimes funnest

1 : providing entertainment, amusement, or enjoyment

a fun party

a fun person to be with

2 : full of fun : pleasant

have a fun time

See fun defined for English-language learners

Examples of fun in a Sentence

Our vacation was a fun time.
She's a fun person to be with.
The park is a fun place to visit.
We had a fun time at the movie.

Recent Examples of fun from the Web

Getty ImagesHelena Sprengers / EyeEm Fish pedicures may be a fun way to exfoliate rough heels, but experts are now warning that the procedure may pose an infection risk.

— temi adebowale, Marie Claire, "A Woman's Toenails Fell Off After a Fish Pedicure," 3 July 2018
Test-sniffing Yankee Candles in the store isn't even fun.

— alyssa fiorentino, House Beautiful, "4 Reasons You Should Never Give Someone A Yankee Candle," 28 June 2018
The Open, when done right, should be fun to watch, and this one was not, as the final-day TV ratings — third-lowest in history — revealed.

— nick canepa, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Mickelson’s antics a mistake, but this was no capital crime," 23 June 2018
Seems like that would just be fun for him, mostly because there might be more Coach Pop could unlock from him.

— charles curtis, For The Win, "Where LeBron James should sign based on legacy, family, rings and other factors," 12 June 2018
Microsoft That latter was especially fun, as Ori can dash out of the sand dunes at the end too, propelling upwards to reach ledges that were just out of reach or shooting across gaps and then hopping to safety.

— hayden dingman, PCWorld, "Ori and the Will of the Wisps hands-on: Recapturing that magic feeling," 11 June 2018
That's what made Sunday night's regional-clinching win so fun, said Hensley, who earned the win after holding Indiana to two unearned runs over 7 1/3 innings.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Arlington Heights' Blair Henley on verge of helping Texas return to Omaha," 7 June 2018
Where to look: Spotting constellations can be fun and challenging.

— brian resnick, Vox, "Summer is for meteor showers and stargazing. Here’s how to watch.," 22 June 2018
Sneakers, which have become everyday wardrobe staples, offer men a fun way to accessorize, allowing them to give a pop of self-expression to any outfit including suits.

— sari anne tuschman, latimes.com, "Summer style: Designer sneakers continue to be a major status symbol for the fashion-minded shopper," 21 June 2018

Can something be funner or funnest?

Fun is a word which many people find does not live up to its definition, especially when it is used as an adjective (meaning “full of fun” or “amusing, enjoyable, pleasant”). In fact, there is a sizable portion of the English-speaking world which does not consider fun to be a proper adjective at all; these people feel that it is only a noun, which is why you sometimes hear that you should write “it was so much fun,” rather than “it was so fun.” It thereby stands to reason that if fun is not an adjective, it should not be used in the comparative and superlative forms of funner and funnest.

However, we do provide a definition for the adjectival use of fun, due to the fact that it has been used in such a fashion since at least the mid-1800s. We also list funner and funnest as comparative and superlative forms, due to the fact that these words are often employed in this manner (although we recognize that there are some who accept fun as an adjective, but feel that “more fun” and “most fun” are preferable). Including funner and funnest is not a directive that you should use these forms; it is a recognition of their existence, and you should feel free to use them or avoid them, as you see fit.

Origin and Etymology of fun

see ¹fun

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1827

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

fun Synonyms

Synonyms

amusing, delightful, diverting, enjoyable, entertaining, pleasurable;

Antonyms

boring, drab, dreary, dull, flat, heavy, humdrum, jading, leaden, monotonous, pedestrian, pleasureless, ponderous, stodgy, stuffy, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying;

Near Antonyms

disagreeable, displeasing, distasteful, uncongenial, unlovely, unpleasant, unpleasing, unwelcome;

recreational;

antic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, humorous, laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, riotous, risible, sidesplitting, uproarious;

blithesome, gay, gleeful, happy, jocose, jocund, jolly, jovial, merry, mirthful, sunny;

exciting, stimulating, thrilling;

FUN Defined for English Language Learners

fun

noun

Definition of fun for English Language Learners

: someone or something that is amusing or enjoyable : an enjoyable experience or person
: an enjoyable or amusing time
: the feeling of being amused or entertained

fun

verb

Definition of fun for English Language Learners

: to speak or act in a way that is not serious

fun

adjective

Definition of fun for English Language Learners

: providing amusement : amusing or enjoyable

FUN Defined for Kids

fun

noun \ ˈfən \

Definition of fun for Students

1 : someone or something that provides amusement or enjoyment

They were fun to play with.

2 : a good time

We had a lot of fun.

She painted for fun.

3 : words or actions to make someone or something an object of ridicule

He made fun of my singing.

fun

adjective

Definition of fun for Students

1 : providing fun

a fun trip

2 : full of fun

We had a fun time together.

Learn More about fun

See words that rhyme with fun Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for fun Spanish Central: Translation of fun Nglish: Translation of fun for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of fun for Arabic speakers

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fun

Definition of fun

Video: Fun, Funner, Funnest

Examples of fun in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fun from the Web

Origin and Etymology of fun

fun Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Synonym Discussion of fun

fun

Definition of fun

Examples of fun in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fun from the Web

Origin and Etymology of fun

fun Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

Phrases

fun

Definition of fun

Examples of fun in a Sentence

Recent Examples of fun from the Web

Can something be funner or funnest?

Origin and Etymology of fun

fun Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases Related to FUN

Related Phrases

FUN Defined for English Language Learners

fun

Definition of fun for English Language Learners

fun

Definition of fun for English Language Learners

fun

Definition of fun for English Language Learners

FUN Defined for Kids

fun

Definition of fun for Students

fun

Definition of fun for Students

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