fun 1 of 3

Definition of funnext
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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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verb

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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of fun
Adjective
That’s been really fun to see how artists are tackling this really cleverly and creatively. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 The idea is that The Webster can come along with a much more fun, vibrant, creative, inspirational environment, with an amazing creative brand mix, and bring a lot of these luxury brands to regions where they may have been neglected in the past. — Lucy Maguire, Vogue, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
Faith in Brandon Aubrey is warranted, but field goal attempts from any distance need a fun governor. — Mac Engel october 4, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2026 Just as the weather begins to cool in Kansas City, Pitbull and Lil Jon helped folks enjoy some summer fun one more time. — Rashad Alexander, Kansas City Star, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fun
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fun
Adjective
  • Soon, though, Sutskever also catches the eye of Altman and his partner Elon Musk (an amusing Ike Barinholtz, nailing him).
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There's a tricky tonal balance in treating the lawyers' gasp-inducing ruthlessness as entertaining and even amusing while also allowing its consequences to be clear.
    — Linda Holmes, NPR, 3 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Max Goldbart here taking you through a week in which one of the biggest entertainment deals of this century was waved through.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2026
  • That money is split among entertainment-industry health and retirement funds, the Motion Picture & Television Fund and a National Association of Attorneys General fund.
    — Andrew McGowan, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Dak Prescott then orchestrated an 11-play, 74-yard drive that included a fourth down conversion and capped it with the throw to Lamb to give the Cowboys the victory.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026
  • There was the Dolphins’ play of the day that ultimately wasn’t — a nimble escape from pressure and a dart to Chris Bell, who would have scored a 68-yard TD if one of his toes hadn’t grazed the sideline.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • In addition to that central pool, the spa complex contains a tepidarium (warm relaxation room), Byzantine hammam (steam room), salt cave, Watsu pool, yoga and fitness rooms, and an area for massages and other treatments.
    — CNT Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Then came the surprising part The team used muon spin relaxation to look for extremely weak magnetic fields inside the material.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 3 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • There’s a lot of commotion swirling around you, and much of the drama may not even involve you directly.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Robin’s younger sister Riverley heard the commotion and ran for help.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Unless the industry in question is peak grunge, Fox is joking.
    — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Even Reddit users joined in the discussion, joking about being too old to qualify.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But Dunnigan’s pick-six late in the game — combined with the win — made this an enjoyable and successful night for the freshman from Kansas.
    — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Later, Mars trines Neptune in your 5th House and brings your adventurous energy somewhere much more enjoyable.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • The more these three play together, the more the emotional register of their music keeps breaching into delight.
    — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Even Jeff, post-premiere, has been a delight, just kind of letting the game play out and not foisting metaphors upon us at Tribal Council.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fun. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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