If you’re looking to spice up your vocabulary with some funny and quirky words, you’re in the right place! English is full of humorous and unique words that can bring a smile to anyone’s face. Whether you’re trying to impress your friends, make a joke, or simply add some fun to your conversations, these 80+ funny words will do the trick.
In this article, we’ll explore a wide variety of funny words in English, from unusual terms to outdated slang. We’ll also provide their meanings, pronunciations, and example sentences so that you can start using them in your everyday speech.
Let’s dive into the world of amusing words and discover how they can add color and humor to your English conversations!
What Makes a Word Funny?
A funny word is typically one that is amusing because of its pronunciation, meaning, or the way it sounds. Some of these words might sound strange, while others might have quirky meanings that lead to humorous situations. Here’s a breakdown of why certain words in English make us laugh:
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Pronunciation: Some words sound funny simply because of the way they’re pronounced.
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Meaning: Words with unusual or unexpected meanings can often sound amusing.
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Spelling: Odd or complex spellings can make a word look funny and harder to say, making it fun to try.
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Cultural Context: Some words are funny because they’re rare, outdated, or used in certain specific contexts.
80+ funny words in English :
| Funny Word | Part of Speech | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absquatulate | Verb | ab-SKWAH-chuh-leyt | To leave abruptly or to flee | “His ex-girlfriend was at the party so he absquatulated as soon as he’d arrived.” |
| Baboonery | Noun | buh-BOO-nuh-ree | Foolish or silly behavior | “The students’ baboonery during class earned them an hour in detention after school.” |
| Bloviate | Verb | BLOH-vee-eyt | To speak pompously or at length | “The audience was yawning as the politician bloviated about his accomplishments for hours.” |
| Blunderbuss | Noun | BLUN-der-buhs | An old-fashioned, wide-barrel gun | “The old man threatened the trespassers with his trusty blunderbuss.” |
| Bumbershoot | Noun | BUM-ber-shoot | An umbrella | “She always carried a bright yellow bumbershoot – even on sunny days.” |
| Canoodle | Verb | kuh-NOO-dl | To kiss and cuddle amorously | “The young couple canoodled in the park without concern for everyone else there.” |
| Cater-cornered | Adjective | KAT-er-kawr-nerd | Diagonally opposite | “The bank is cater-cornered from the post office.” |
| Cockalorum | Noun | kok-uh-LAWR-uhm | A boastful and self-important person | “Everyone was tired of listening to the cockalorum talk about how great he was.” |
| Collop | Noun | KOL-uhp | A slice of meat | “He cooked a collop of bacon for breakfast.” |
| Collywobbles | Noun | KOL-ee-wob-uhlz | Stomach pain or queasiness (from nerves, for example) | “I had collywobbles when I was waiting for the job interview to start.” |
| Comeuppance | Noun | kuhm-UHP-uhns | A punishment or fate that one deserves | “After years of cheating, he finally got his comeuppance when his wife caught him with his girlfriend.” |
| Crapulence | Noun | KRAP-yuh-luhns | Discomfort from overeating or drinking too much | “I had terrible crapulence the morning after the party.” |
| Discombobulate | Verb | dis-kuhm-BOB-yuh-leyt | To confuse or disconcert | “The process is complex on purpose because they’re trying to discombobulate you.” |
| Dongle | Noun | DONG-guhl | A small device that plugs into a computer or TV, allowing internet access | “He plugged the dongle into his laptop to access the internet.” |
| Doozy | Noun | DOO-zee | Something outstanding or unique of its kind | “The party was a real doozy, with live music and unbelievable food.” |
| Fartlek | Noun | FAHRT-lek | A type of running training that uses intervals and different speeds | “The cross-country team made big improvements after including fartlek workouts in their training.” |
| Filibuster | Noun/Verb | FIL-uh-buhs-ter | Using long speeches to delay a political decision | “The senator launched a filibuster to delay the passage of the controversial bill.” |
| Flibbertigibbet | Noun | FLIB-er-tee-jib-it | An excessively talkative person | “The flibbertigibbet chatted non-stop about her social life even though no one was interested.” |
| Flummox | Verb | FLUHM-uhks | To bewilder or confuse someone | “The test question flummoxed even the smartest kids.” |
| Folderol | Noun | FAHL-duh-rahl | Nonsense or foolish talk | “The politician’s speech was full of folderol and empty promises.” |
| Fuddy-duddy | Noun | FUH-dee-DUH-dee | An old-fashioned or conservative person | “Dad’s such a fuddy-duddy – he won’t listen to hip-hop music because it includes swear words.” |
| Furphy | Noun | FUR-fee | A false rumor or story | “She isn’t dead – that rumor was a furphy.” |
| Gastromancy | Noun | GAS-truh-man-see | Predicting the future from the sounds coming from the stomach | “The fortune teller claimed to practice gastromancy, so she listened to my stomach, but all her predictions were wrong.” |
| Glabella | Noun | gluh-BEL-uh | The smooth part of the forehead between the eyebrows | “What’s that on your glabella? It looks like ketchup or something.” |
| Gobbledygook | Noun | GOB-uhl-dee-gook | Language that is meaningless or hard to understand due to technical terms | “The contract was full of legal gobbledygook that the average person couldn’t understand.” |
| Gobemouche | Noun | GAHB-moosh | A gullible person who believes everything they hear | “She’s such a gobemouche – she believes everything she sees on Facebook.” |
| Gongoozler | Noun | GONG-gooz-ler | A person who enjoys watching boats on canals | “When you float down the canal in your boat, wave at all the gongoozlers. It’ll make them really happy.” |
| Gonzo | Adjective | GAHN-zoh | Bizarre or unconventional | “The gonzo journalist’s writing style was full of wild exaggerations and crazy stories.” |
| Hobbledehoy | Noun | HOB-uhl-dee-hoy | An awkward or ill-mannered young man | “When I was a teenager, I was a hobbledehoy – I never knew how to act in social situations.” |
| Hoosegow | Noun | HOOS-gow | A jail or prison | “They caught the bank robber and sent him to the hoosegow.” |
| Jackanapes | Noun | JAK-uh-neyps | A disrespectful and naughty person | “The young jackanapes was always rude to his neighbors.” |
| Kerfuffle | Noun | ker-FUHF-uhl | A disturbance caused by conflicting views or a dispute | “When the city council announced the new name of the park, there was a kerfuffle in the community.” |
| Lollygag | Verb | LOL-ee-gag | To spend time aimlessly or idly | “The students are always lollygagging in the halls in between classes.” |
| Maverick | Noun | MAV-rik | An independent person who doesn’t follow the group | “The maverick scientist’s unconventional approach led to groundbreaking discoveries and a Nobel prize.” |
| Mollycoddle | Verb | MOL-ee-kod-l | To give someone (usually a child) too much care, attention, and protection | “Many parents mollycoddle their children, never letting them face challenges on their own.” |
| Mugwump | Noun | MUHG-wuhmp | A person who is politically independent and remains neutral | “The mugwump won’t align with either the Democrats or Republicans – they prefer to make decisions based on merit.” |
| Mumpsimus | Noun | MUHMP-sih-muhs | A person who insists on sticking with an unreasonable custom or incorrect word out of habit or stubbornness | “We told him it was a mistake, but the mumpsimus didn’t listen and continued using the wrong word in his speech.” |
| Ornery | Adjective | AWR-nuh-ree | Being bad-tempered, irritable, and difficult to control | “The ornery old man complained nonstop and started fights with his neighbors.” |
| Pettifogger | Noun | PET-ee-fog-er | An inferior, petty, and unscrupulous lawyer | “It’s no surprise the court case went badly for the defendant because he had hired a pettifogger to defend him.” |
| Rambunctious | Adjective | ram-BUHNGK-shuhs | Energetic and difficult to control | “Enjoy the peaceful time with your newborn child, because before you know it, they’ll be a rambunctious toddler.” |
| Ranivorous | Adjective | ruh-NIV-er-uhs | Animals or birds that eat frogs | “This ranivorous snake hunts frogs in the wetlands.” |
More funny words in English
| Funny Word | Part of Speech | Pronunciation | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigmarole | Noun | RIG-muh-rohl | A long, complicated, and tedious procedure | “Getting a visa to live in Australia is a rigmarole.” |
| Shenanigan | Noun | shuh-NAN-i-guhn | A mischievous or deceitful trick | “The last day of school is usually full of shenanigans.” |
| Skedaddle | Verb | ski-DAD-l | To run away | “If the teacher comes around the corner, skedaddle.” |
| Skullduggery | Noun | skuhl-DUHG-uh-ree | Deceitful and dishonest behavior to get an advantage | “The company recorded record profits last year, but an investigation found that it was an illusion created by accounting skullduggery.” |
| Slangwhanger | Noun | SLANG-hwang-er | A person (usually a journalist or politician) who uses insulting language | “The slangwhanger’s comments in the newspapers led to thousands of angry complaints.” |
| Snollygoster | Noun | SNOL-ee-gos-ter | An intelligent, unprincipled person (often a politician) | “The snollygoster used empty promises and secret deals to gain power in the government.” |
| Snool | Noun | SNOOL | A person afraid of people with higher status | “The snool was so afraid of his boss he never said no to his requests, no matter how unreasonable they were.” |
| Tatterdemalion | Noun, Adjective | tat-er-dih-MEYL-yuhn | A person wearing ragged clothing | “You’ve become a tatterdemalion like your father.” |
| Troglodyte | Noun | TROG-luh-dahyt | A person who is deliberately ignorant or old-fashioned | “The stubborn troglodyte refuses to try new methods or technologies.” |
| Valetudinarian | Noun | val-i-tood-n-AIR-ee-uhn | A weak or sickly person who worries constantly about their health | “The valetudinarian visited the doctor for every little thing.” |
| Yahoo | Noun | YA-hoo | A crude, rude, or stupid person | “The drunken yahoos caused a lot of trouble in a quiet neighborhood last night.” |
| Yaffle | Verb | YAFF-l | To eat or drink noisily, or to talk aimlessly | “He was yaffling away at the lunch table without noticing the time.” |
| Zarf | Noun | ZARF | A holder for a hot coffee cup (especially in the Middle East) | “She placed the coffee in a zarf before handing it to him.” |
| Zoanthropy | Noun | zo-AN-thro-pee | A psychological disorder in which a person believes they are an animal | “He had zoanthropy and often thought he was a wolf.” |
| Zymology | Noun | zy-MOL-uh-jee | The study of fermentation and its effects, especially in the production of alcohol | “He studied zymology in university and later worked as a brewmaster.” |
| Blatherskite | Noun | BLATH-er-skyte | A person who talks nonsense or foolishly | “Stop being a blatherskite and get to the point!” |
| Borborygmus | Noun | bor-buh-RIG-muhs | A rumbling sound in the intestines caused by gas or hunger | “The borborygmus in my stomach was so loud during the lecture, everyone heard it.” |
| Gallimaufry | Noun | GAL-ih-MAW-free | A hodgepodge or jumble of different things | “The report was a gallimaufry of irrelevant facts and outdated information.” |
| Hobnob | Verb | HOB-nob | To associate with someone, especially in a friendly or social way | “He likes to hobnob with celebrities whenever he’s at a party.” |
| Fandango | Noun | fan-DAN-go | A foolish or complicated dance or situation | “The event was a real fandango, with too many things happening at once.” |
| Hocus-pocus | Noun | HOH-kus-POH-kus | Deceptive or misleading actions or words, often associated with magic | “He used some hocus-pocus to get the money out of their pockets.” |
| Incognito | Adjective | in-kog-NEE-toh | In disguise or using a false identity | “He walked into the store incognito, hoping no one would recognize him.” |
| Lickspittle | Noun | LIK-split-uhl | A person who acts obsequiously to gain favor, a flatterer | “The manager surrounded himself with lickspittles who never disagreed with him.” |
| Nincompoop | Noun | NIN-kom-poop | A silly or foolish person | “Don’t be a nincompoop, just follow the instructions carefully.” |
| Pumpernickel | Noun | PUM-per-NIK-uhl | A dark, dense bread made from rye | “I had a sandwich with pumpernickel bread for lunch.” |
| Ragamuffin | Noun | RAG-uh-muh-fin | A person, especially a child, who is dressed in ragged clothes | “The ragamuffins played in the streets, making everyone laugh.” |
| Scallywag | Noun | SKAL-ee-wag | A mischievous or dishonest person | “The scallywags made a mess of the party and had to be kicked out.” |
| Skirmish | Noun | SKUR-mish | A minor or brief conflict or battle | “The skirmish between the two rivals ended quickly without much damage.” |
| Smorgasbord | Noun | SMOR-guhs-bord | A wide variety or selection of things, especially food | “The buffet was a smorgasbord of delicious dishes from around the world.” |
| Snugglebunny | Noun | SNUG-uhl-buh-nee | A person, often affectionate or cuddly, who likes to snuggle | “He’s such a snugglebunny, always cozying up on the couch.” |
| Spaghettini | Noun | spa-ge-TEE-nee | Thin pasta, similar to spaghetti, often used in soups | “She cooked a bowl of spaghettini with her famous tomato sauce.” |
| Sprinkler | Noun | SPRING-klur | A device used to spray water for irrigation | “He ran through the sprinkler to cool off during the hot summer day.” |
| Strumpet | Noun | STRUM-pet | A woman, especially one who is promiscuous or a prostitute | “The strumpet was the talk of the town for her antics.” |
| Whippersnapper | Noun | WHIP-er-snap-er | A young and inexperienced person who is often self-important | “The old man called the young whippersnapper arrogant and disrespectful.” |
Conclusion On Funny Word in English
English is a language full of interesting and humorous words. Whether you’re trying to make your friends laugh or want to impress someone with a quirky vocabulary, these 80+funny words in English are perfect for adding humor and playfulness to your language. Keep experimenting with these words and have fun using them in the right context! Remember, language is a tool to express creativity and personality, and a little humor can go a long way. However, always ensure the words are appropriate for the setting to avoid confusion. Keep practicing and enjoy the lighter side of English!