Fun

/fʌn/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonEmotion
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure.

/fʌn/

nounpositiveBeginner
Emotion

Enjoyment or amusement

The children were having great fun in the playground.

💡 Simply: Fun is when you feel happy and excited, like when you're playing with your friends or going to the park. It’s that feeling that makes you want to smile and laugh!

👶 For kids: Fun means happy and playing!

More Examples

2

She loves going to the beach for fun.

3

This vacation will be all fun.

How It's Used

General Conversation

"We had so much fun at the party!"

Recreation

"Skiing is a lot of fun."

2

Pleasurable; entertaining; causing amusement or enjoyment.

/fʌn/

adjectivepositiveBeginner
Quality

Providing amusement or enjoyment

We had a fun day at the zoo.

💡 Simply: Something that's fun is something you enjoy doing! It's like a happy adventure or exciting game. If it’s fun, it makes you feel good!

👶 For kids: If something is fun, it's happy and cool!

More Examples

2

This is a fun book to read.

3

The party was really fun.

How It's Used

Informal Conversation

"That's a fun game!"

Describing Activities

"We planned a fun weekend."

Tip:Think of a 'fun' activity as one that makes you laugh or smile.

Idioms & expressions

make fun of

To laugh at someone or something in a way that is unkind or intended to cause them embarrassment.

"The other kids were making fun of his new haircut."

for fun

For enjoyment; as a pastime; not seriously or as a profession.

"I go swimming for fun, not for exercise."

From Middle English funne, fune, a word of unknown origin, possibly related to Old English 'fon' (to be foolish). Its modern meaning, of enjoyment, developed over time.

Historically, 'fun' was not widely used to describe enjoyment until the 20th century. It originally had connotations of fooling or deceiving.

Memory tip

Think of 'fun' as the feeling you get when you play games or do something enjoyable.

Word Origin

LanguageUnknown (Possibly Old English or a Scandinavian language)
Original meaning

"Unclear. Initially may have meant 'foolishness' or 'trickery'."

have funmake funlots of funfun gamefun timefor fun

Common misspellings

funnfunne

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written