humor

noun

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hu·mor | \ ˈhyü-mər

, ˈyü- \

Definition of humor

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : that quality which appeals to a sense of the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous : a funny or amusing quality Try to appreciate the humor of the situation.

b : the mental faculty of discovering, expressing, or appreciating the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous : the ability to be funny or to be amused by things that are funny a woman with a great sense of humor

c : something that is or is designed to be comical or amusing The book is a collection of American humor. not a fan of the comedian's brand of humor

2a : an often temporary state of mind imposed especially by circumstances was in no humor to listen

b : characteristic or habitual disposition or bent : temperament of cheerful humor

c in medieval physiology : a fluid or juice of an animal or plant specifically : one of the four fluids entering into the constitution of the body and determining by their relative proportions a person's health and temperament

d : a sudden, unpredictable, or unreasoning inclination : whim … conceived the humor of impeaching casual passers-by … and wreaking vengeance on them.— Charles Dickens the uncertain humors of nature

3a : a normal functioning bodily semifluid or fluid (such as the blood or lymph)

b physiology : a secretion (such as a hormone) that is an excitant of activity

out of humor

: out of sorts

humor

verb

humored; humoring\ ˈhyüm-riŋ

, ˈyüm- , ˈhyü-mə- , ˈyü- \

Definition of humor (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to soothe or content (someone) by indulgence : to comply with the temperament or inclinations of The only way to get along with him is to humor him. I know you don't agree, but just humor me.

2 : to adapt oneself to … yielding to, and humoring the motion of the limbs and twigs …— William Bartram

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about humor

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Choose the Right Synonym for humor

Noun

wit, humor, irony, sarcasm, satire, repartee mean a mode of expression intended to arouse amusement. wit suggests the power to evoke laughter by remarks showing verbal felicity or ingenuity and swift perception especially of the incongruous. a playful wit humor implies an ability to perceive the ludicrous, the comical, and the absurd in human life and to express these usually without bitterness. a sense of humor irony applies to a manner of expression in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is seemingly expressed. the irony of the title sarcasm applies to expression frequently in the form of irony that is intended to cut or wound. given to heartless sarcasm satire applies to writing that exposes or ridicules conduct, doctrines, or institutions either by direct criticism or more often through irony, parody, or caricature. a satire on the Congress repartee implies the power of answering quickly, pointedly, or wittily. a dinner guest noted for repartee

Verb

indulge, pamper, humor, spoil, baby, mollycoddle mean to show undue favor to a person's desires and feelings. indulge implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires. indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse pamper implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect. pampered by the amenities of modern living humor stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims. humored him by letting him tell the story spoil stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering. foolish parents spoil their children baby suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude. babying students by grading too easily mollycoddle suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare. refused to mollycoddle her malingering son

Did You Know?

In the Middle Ages it was believed that a person’s health and disposition were the result of a balance of four fluids in the body. These fluids were called humors, from the Latin word humor, meaning “moisture.” The fluids were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. If a person had a cheerful disposition, it was said to be a result of an excess of blood. A sluggish disposition was the result of an excess of phlegm. A hot-tempered disposition was said to be caused by an excess of yellow bile, and the disposition of a gloomy person was the result of an excess of black bile. In time, humor came to be used as a general term for “disposition or temperament.” From this developed the sense of “a changeable state of mind” or “mood.” More recently humor has come to refer to something that is funny.

Examples of humor in a Sentence

Noun He didn't appreciate the humor of the situation. Someday, you'll see the humor in this. Everyone likes the gentle humor of his stories of family life. She doesn't care for ethnic humor. The book is a collection of American humor. His humor is one of his most attractive qualities. Verb The only way to get along with him is to humor him. humored her grandfather by listening to his war stories for the hundredth time

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In each episode, the Robertsons serve up some Southern hospitality at their Louisiana home, along with a dose of Robertson-style humor and special appearances from three generations of family members from Sadie to Uncle Si. — Mary Colurso | Mcolurso@al.com, al, "Alabama’s Hannah Brown talks pageants, body image with ‘Duck Dynasty’ clan," 14 Apr. 2021 The track finds Jagger tackling life during the pandemic, with a mix of frustration, exhaustion and humor. — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, "Mick Jagger Recruits Dave Grohl for New Song on Pandemic Life, ‘Eazy Sleazy’," 13 Apr. 2021 It is comprised of monologues and scenes depicting the heartache and humor that so often defines the relationship many of us have with our hair, particularly in a society that so heavily polices Black women’s hair. — Keli Goff, Vogue, "How My Hair Drove Me From Cable News to My Dream Career," 13 Apr. 2021 It’s your friendliness and good humor and sympathy along with courage and imagination. — Steve Denning, Forbes, "Twelve Leadership Keys To Embracing Digital At Volvo Cars," 12 Apr. 2021 Reichert handles the ghosts (there are multiple) deftly, using them to advance plot, reveal character and spark humor. — Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Romance has a ghost of a chance in Wisconsin-set 'The Kindred Spirits Supper Club'," 12 Apr. 2021 The game bounces wildly between violence and wry humor, with some dark and harrowing commentary. — Reid Mccarter, Wired, "Outriders Is Grinning Through the Apocalypse," 10 Apr. 2021 Like Maher, his monologue alternates between attempts at humor and stern lectures about politics and culture, though Maher is a comedic genius in comparison. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Is Gutfeld! the Worst Show on Television?," 8 Apr. 2021 During these hikes, the veterans will be hiking with their combat boots and silkies, which are traditional military physical training shorts, to promote humor and camaraderie among the ranks. — Emmett Hall, sun-sentinel.com, "Irreverent Warriors Silkies Hike calling all veterans and active duty members," 8 Apr. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Once at his bedside, the narrator decides to humor him. — James Wood, The New Yorker, "Catherine Lacey and the Art of Enigma," 17 Aug. 2020 The airport also refuses to humor the theory that says their runways intentionally resemble Nazi swastikas. — Joshua Pease, Popular Mechanics, "Is the Denver Airport Really Controlled by the Illuminati?," 1 June 2020 But Congress’s reticence to humor his space dreams—and the 2020 election throwing NASA’s future in the air—may make Artemis fire a blank rather than a moonshot. — Morgan Enos, Fortune, "Trump is proposing nearly $3 billion in additional funds for a 2024 moon landing. Will it be enough?," 11 Feb. 2020 Chrissy Teigen is not humoring the haters in the new year. — Cady Lang, Time, "Chrissy Teigen Calls Out Internet Troll Who Accused Her of Editing a Swimsuit Photo," 2 Jan. 2020 The 2-year-old black domestic shorthair kitty is said to possess a natural cleverness and is always full of cute antics that humor everyone around him. — Arizona Republic, azcentral, "Best buds for life and more up for adoption in Valley shelters," 25 Oct. 2019 But the town is also just a town, with policemen who humor a silly old woman, up to a point, where some friends come visit and eat baked goods and talk about poetry, and the eeriness vanishes like a menacing shadow when the lamp turns on. — Rachel Riederer, The New Republic, "Olga Tokarczuk’s Gripping Eco-Mystery," 10 Oct. 2019 But amid these horrors, humor me in my small protest against Comcast and Altitude Sports. — Dp Opinion, The Denver Post, "Letters: If you can’t impeach …; Erosion in our society; No need to know whistle-blower; Fans are victims of greed; more responses (11/15/19)," 15 Nov. 2019 Gehrke told his superior about the wire, but his boss humored him and told him they’d handle things, reminding him not to discuss it with the media. — Paul Sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Baseball’s sign-stealing controversy is an old story with a modern, high-tech twist," 15 Nov. 2019

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

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Last Updated

18 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Humor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humor. Accessed 22 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for humor

humor

noun

English Language Learners Definition of humor

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a funny or amusing quality

: jokes, funny stories, etc., of a particular kind

: the ability to be funny or to be amused by things that are funny

humor

verb

English Language Learners Definition of humor (Entry 2 of 2)

: to try to please or satisfy (someone) by doing what is wanted

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

humor

noun

hu·mor | \ ˈhyü-mər

, ˈyü- \

Kids Definition of humor

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : the amusing quality of something She couldn't see the humor of the situation.

2 : the ability to see or tell the amusing quality of things

3 : state of mind : mood … they were not in a very good humor because they had been arguing …— Robert McClosky, Homer Price

humor

verb

humored; humoring

Kids Definition of humor (Entry 2 of 2)

: to give in to the wishes of I humored her and listened to her ridiculous idea.

humor

noun

hu·mor

variants: or chiefly British humour \ ˈhyü-mər

, ˈyü-

Medical Definition of humor

1a : a normal functioning bodily semifluid or fluid (as the blood or lymph)

b : a secretion (as a hormone) that is an excitant of activity

2 in ancient and medieval physiology : a fluid or juice of an animal or plant specifically : one of the four fluids that were believed to enter into the constitution of the body and to determine by their relative proportions a person's health and temperament — see black bile, blood sense 3, phlegm sense 1, yellow bile

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