funny

Everyday

1. Funny means making you laugh or smile: a funny joke. tree →
2. Funny can mean strange or unusual: a funny smell, that's funny. tree →
3. Feeling funny can mean feeling a bit unwell. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and everyday life «funny» describes jokes, comedies and silly moments. Pupils learn that something is only funny if everyone can laugh, including the person it is about; a joke that hurts is not funny. In safety lessons «a funny smell» (gas, burning) or «a funny feeling» about a person is a reason to tell an adult. Phrases: funny bone, funny business, that's funny, very funny (said sarcastically), funny-looking.

Examples

• The clown was really funny. tree →
• Tell me a funny joke! tree →
• That's funny; I left my keys right here. tree →
• There's a funny smell in the kitchen; is something burning? tree →
• I feel a bit funny; I think I ate too much. tree →
• Very funny! Now give me back my hat. tree →
• He hit his funny bone and his arm tingled. tree →
• It's not funny to laugh at someone who fell. tree →
• "Oh how funny!" said Ida, and she laughed. tree →

Note

Comparison: funnier, funniest (y → i). Two different meanings: «funny ha-ha» (makes you laugh) and «funny peculiar» (strange). The «funny bone» is not a bone; it is a nerve in your elbow. «Fun» (enjoyable) and «funny» (makes you laugh) are different: a game can be fun without being funny.