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funniness

noun

Definition of funninessnext
as in humor
the amusing quality or element in something the funniness of the situation is often lost on the victim of the prank

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for funniness
  1. humor
  2. irony
  3. comedy
Noun
  • Director Margaret Shigeko Starbuck leans into makeshift theatricality — flashlights, pool noodles, pocket umbrellas — while a nimble ensemble balances meta-theatrical humor with genuine feeling for Pericles and his beleaguered family.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Throughout the financial troubles that the couple face given Fyodor’s inability to deliver pages, Szumowska and Englert feature scatological humor that further dissolves any notions of elegance associated with 19th-century Europe.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of humor
Noun
  • But there’s an irony here, in that the movie then punches down on Marjorie and her co-conspirators in turn.
    — Katie Rife, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Gellerbrant said her posts were taken out of context and were meant as irony and sarcasm.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of irony
Noun
  • Eisenberg’s playful comedy, which just premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, is sometimes a musical and occasionally a thriller.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • When Fyodor drags himself on the floor, begging for forgiveness or a bit more money to play roulette, the gesture straddles the line between humor and intense discomfort — veering into cringe comedy.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of comedy
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.

Browse Nearby Words

funnily
funniness
funning
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Cite this Entry

“Funniness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/funniness. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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