humorous

English

Etymology

FromMiddle Englishhumorous(compareMedieval Latinhūmorōsus), equivalent tohumor+‎-ous.

Pronunciation

• (UK)enPR:hyo͞o'mərəs,IPA^(key):/ˈhjuːməɹəs/

• Audio(UK):

  (file)

• (US)IPA^(key):/ˈhjuːməɹɪs/
• Rhymes:(UK)-uːməɹəs
• Homophone:humerus

Adjective

humorous(comparativemorehumorous,superlativemosthumorous)

1. Fullofhumororarousinglaughter;funny.

   The waiters were sohumorous- one even did abackflipfor us, when we asked him.

2. Showinghumor;witty,jocular.
3. (obsolete)Damporwatery.
4. (obsolete)Dependent on or caused by one'shumourormood;capricious,whimsical.
   • c.1598–1600(date written),William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act I, scene ii],lines380-83:

     [S]uch is now the Duke's condition
     That he misconstrues all that you have done.
     The Duke ishumorous;what he is, indeed,
     More suits you to conceive than I to speak of.

   • 1603,Michel de Montaigne,“Of the affection of fathers to their children”, inJohn Florio,transl.,The Essayes[…],book II, London:[…]Val[entine]SimmesforEdward Blount[…],→OCLC,page212:

     It is a melancholy humor[…]that firſt put thishumorousconceipt[translatingresverie]of writing into my head.

   • 1861,Elizabeth Gaskell,The Grey Woman:

     I felt at this time as if I could have been fond of him too, if he would have let me; but I was timid from my childhood, and before long my dread of his displeasure[…]conquered myhumorousinclination to love one who was so handsome, so accomplished, so indulgent and devoted.

Usage notes

While the spellinghumouris preferred overhumorin British English,humorousis standard in both American and British English, andhumourousis nonstandard.

Synonyms

• (arousing laughter):amusing,funny
• (witty):amusing,jocular,witty
• See alsoThesaurus:funny
• See alsoThesaurus:witty

Derived terms

• humorously

Related terms

• humor,humour

Translations

full of humor or arousing laughter; funny

• Afrikaans:snaaks(af)
• Bulgarian:хумористичен(bg)(humorističen)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:U mặc(zh)(yōumò)

• Czech:vtipný(cs)
• Dutch:humoristisch(nl)
• Esperanto:humura
• Finnish:humoristinen(fi)
• French:humoristique(fr),amusant(fr)
• Galician:humorísticom
• German:humorvoll(de)
• Greek:αστείος(el)m(asteíos),κωμικός(el)m(komikós)
• Indonesian:kelakar(id)
• Irish:greannmhar
• Italian:umoristico(it),divertente(it),esilarante(it)
• Japanese:ユーモラス(yūmorasu),こっけい(ja)(kokkei),ユーモアのある(ja)(yūmoa no aru)
• Latin:ridiculus(la),iocularis(la)
• Latvian:jocīgs,smieklīgs
• Maltese:tad-daħk
• Maori:pukuhohe
• Marathi:मजेशीर(majeśīr)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:humoristisk(no)

  Nynorsk:humoristisk

• Portuguese:humorístico(pt)
• Romanian:umoristic(ro),hazliu(ro)
• Russian:юмористи́ческий(ru)(jumoristíčeskij),заба́вный(ru)(zabávnyj),смешно́й(ru)(smešnój)
• Spanish:divertido(es),gracioso(es)
• Tagalog:mabalantong,nakatatawa

showing humor; witty, jocular

• Bulgarian:смешен(bg)(smešen),комичен(bg)(komičen)
• Finnish:humoristinen(fi),vitsikäs(fi)
• German:humorvoll(de)
• Greek:αστείος(el)m(asteíos),ευτράπελος(el)m(eftrápelos),πνευματώδης(el)m(pnevmatódis)
• Spanish:cómico(es),chistoso(es),humorístico
• Tagalog:mabalantong