fun

1 of 3

noun

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.

fun

2 of 3

verb

funned; funning

intransitive verb

: to indulge in banter or play : joke

fun

3 of 3

adjective

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is funner a word?

Yes, funner is a word, in spite of the fact that many people either wish it were not or believe that it isn’t. The comparative form of the adjective fun (meaning "more fun") has demonstrated widespread use over many decades and in a wide variety of published writing.

Is funnest a word?

Yes, funnest is a word, in spite of those that wish it were not. The superlative form of the adjective fun (meaning "most fun") has demonstrated widespread use over many decades, in a wide variety of published writing.

Is there a plural of fun?

Fun commonly functions as an adjective ("I had a fun time") and as a noun ("Let’s have some fun"), and somewhat less commonly as a verb ("I’m just funning you"). In its role as a noun the word is a noncount noun ("a noun that denotes a homogeneous substance or a concept without subdivisions and that in English is preceded in indefinite singular constructions by some rather than a or an"), and does not have a plural form.

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of fun in a Sentence

Noun I can't remember when I've had so much fun. Sickness takes all the fun out of life. Verb He's just funning with you. just a couple of old friends funning with each other Adjective 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 on the Web
Noun
Most of us know instinctively what sort of gossip is damaging, and what sort of gossip is a bit of fun. Daisy Jones, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 In 2022, Menzel poked fun at the situation once more, taking part in a TikTok challenge. Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 4 Mar. 2024 The Double Club Los Angeles centers around a site-specific installation based on several tropes of Höller’s artistic practice: the principle of division and the machinery of fun within carnival aesthetics. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2024 For the happy couple, the fun is only just the beginning. Jane Thier, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Enjoy fun, games and songs with Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 For the final night of the pre-wedding fun, Trump wore a white-and-gold dress with green and red accents, as her husband kept it simple in a gray and black look and their eldest child wore pink attire. Brenton Blanchet, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 There's even a confessional room, for guests to recap their fun (and gossip about their other housemates, 'natch). Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 In our digital era, gamification can be used in countless engaging forms with various game mechanics in a fun and modern way. Vasilii Kiselev, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
From essential tools to fun accessories and everything in between. Jenna Clark, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2023 Of course, there are plenty of savings to be had on flights to fun domestic destinations, too, with affordable airfares to sunny desert retreats, ski resort havens, and charming beach towns. Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2023 Surprising almost no one, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is officially funning for U.S. Senate, hoping to be the Republican who challenges longtime incumbent Sherrod Brown. Laura Johnston, cleveland, 18 July 2023 The list touches on everything from practical must-haves to fun add-ons and creature comforts. Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2023 Jennifer Aniston Says Late Parents Inspired Her Health Journey, Jokes 'My Friends Call Me Dr. Aniston' obé Fitness instructors make their exercises fun, engaging, welcoming, and best of all, judgment-free. Sarah Byron, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2023 Wrap up your weekend of beachy keen holiday fun the 52nd annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights. Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2022 This is a tiny place that does really fun live music, serves Russian and Ukrainian food, and is always sure to be a good time. Ludwig Hurtado, Curbed, 7 Apr. 2022 The Etsy shop sells curated plant sets that will get beginners acquainted with gardening or introduce advanced gardeners to fun new plant options. Jacorey Moon, Good Housekeeping, 15 Nov. 2022
Adjective
Make no mistake, pursuing wildly imaginative spaces during a midday social media scroll is incredibly fun. Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 And here's a fun fact: Despite its name, there's no corn in corned beef. Diane J. Cho, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2024 Jane Austen wrote takedowns of this kind of ninny two centuries ago — how fun to see Pike update her twit to the post-Y2K era. Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Parental supervision, game discussions afterward, and time limits are all helpful in setting up a safe and fun experience. Maya Polton, Parents, 7 Mar. 2024 The Pioneer Woman refreshes the timeless cut in medium, dark, and black washes with a fun floral embroidery design on the back and five functional pockets. Wendy Vazquez, Southern Living, 7 Mar. 2024 And of course, there are some fun stories from over the years, like years ago when a woman hid in the bushes overnight in order to try to sneak into the party. Marc Malkin, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 All the girls in the show have actually bought it now, fun fact. Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2024 The night wasn’t fun for anyone in teal, as the Oilers scored four times on Chrona on 12 shots in the first period before going on to a 5-0 win at SAP Center. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fun.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun, Verb, and Adjective

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

First Known Use

Noun

1726, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1802, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fun was in 1726

Dictionary Entries Near fun

Cite this Entry

“Fun.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fun. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

fun

1 of 3 noun
1
: someone or something that provides amusement or enjoyment
the twins were fun to have around
picnics are great fun
2
: a good time : amusement, enjoyment
have fun
plays cards just for fun
3
: words or actions that make someone or something an object of unkind laughter
kids making fun of me

fun

2 of 3 verb
funned; funning
: to engage in joking or play
I was only funning

fun

3 of 3 adjective
1
: providing fun
a fun party
a fun person
2
: full of fun : pleasant sense 1
have a fun time

More from Merriam-Webster on fun

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