Word: Humour

Pronunciation

/ˈhjuːmər/ (UK), /ˈhjumər/ (US)

Definitions

• Noun: 1. A quality of being amusing, comical, or entertaining; the ability to make others laugh or feel amusement. For example: “She has a great sense of humour.” 2. A mood or state of mind; a person’s disposition or temperament. For instance: “He was in no humour to listen to jokes.” 3. In medicine, it refers to one of the four bodily fluids once believed to affect a person’s health and personality traits. For example: “The imbalance of humours was thought to cause illness.”

• Verb: To entertain or amuse with something funny or playful. For example: “His stories always humour the children.”

Phrases

• “In good humour”: Feeling happy or cheerful.
• “Sense of humour”: The ability to perceive what is humorous or comical.
• “Take something in good humour”: To accept something playfully or without offense.
• “To humour someone”: To indulge someone, often by going along with their ideas or whims, even if one does not necessarily agree or believe them.

Example Sentences

• Noun: “Her quick wit and sharp humour made her the highlight of the evening.”
• Verb: “I humoured him by pretending to believe his outrageous tales just to keep him happy.”

Synonyms

• Amusement
• Wit
• Comedy
• Laughter
• Joviality
• Playfulness
• Comic Relief
• Jest
• Whimsy (for the mood/temperament meaning)
• Indulge (for the verb meaning)