funfair

Everyday

1. An outdoor show with rides, games, stalls and sweets that people pay to enjoy, often travelling from town to town. tree →
2. (UK, Australia) The usual word for what Americans call a carnival or a fair. tree →

In the lessons

In stories a funfair is a place of excitement, bright lights, candyfloss and sometimes danger or getting lost. In everyday life children go with family or friends and spend pocket money. In maths, funfair problems use ride prices, tokens and change. Safety: stay with your adult, agree a meeting point, and follow the height rules on rides. Phrases: go to the funfair, funfair rides, the funfair is in town.

Examples

• The funfair comes to our park every summer. tree →
• I won a goldfish at the funfair! tree →
• We rode the dodgems and the big wheel at the funfair. tree →
• Each ride at the funfair costs £2, so four rides cost £8. tree →
• Stay together at the funfair so nobody gets lost. tree →
• The funfair lights glowed across the dark field. tree →
• In America they usually call it a carnival or a county fair. tree →
• Mum bought candyfloss at the funfair. tree →

Note

Countable noun: a funfair, two funfairs. One word, not «fun fair», in British English (both spellings appear). In the US «carnival» or «fair» is more common; in the UK «carnival» usually means a street parade. A «fair» can also mean an event for selling things (a book fair, a craft fair), with no rides.