as in comedian
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor
a funnyman who honed his shtick in vaudeville, Milton Berle was credited with popularizing the medium of television
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Recent Examples of funnyman
The other funnymen of the time—Milton Berle with his lewd suggestiveness, Jackie Gleason with his baleful roar—did the same shtick over and over.
—
David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
The late funnyman and actor John Candy was the mascot of laughter and fun in Hollywood comedies before his unexpected death in 1994.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
But establishing your lead funnyman as someone who just shuts up and stares blankly ahead isn’t a recipe for sustainable comedy.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2025
The participation of big-name funnymen, including Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Carr, has provoked criticism from fellow comedians, including Marc Maron, Shane Gillis and Stavros Halkias, as well as human rights groups and other commentators.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for funnyman
David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
The late funnyman and actor John Candy was the mascot of laughter and fun in Hollywood comedies before his unexpected death in 1994.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
But establishing your lead funnyman as someone who just shuts up and stares blankly ahead isn’t a recipe for sustainable comedy.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 29 Sep. 2025
The participation of big-name funnymen, including Dave Chappelle, Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Carr, has provoked criticism from fellow comedians, including Marc Maron, Shane Gillis and Stavros Halkias, as well as human rights groups and other commentators.
—Chloe Veltman, NPR, 27 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for funnyman
Recent Examples of Synonyms for funnyman
comedian
Noun
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Actor-comedian Cecily Strong is 42.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Feb. 2026
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The British Whitehall, primarily known as a stand-up comedian, panel show guest and presenter, makes a fine romantic lead.—
Television Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Funnyman.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/funnyman. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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