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Glite Dictionary
punny

punny

1 9.0
To make jokes by using words with two meanings
  • adjective
  • /ˈpʌni/
  • Informal
translation icon : jocoso
  • It is funny but it's also punny.

So you could let that sink in, punny.

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Examples

  • Geisel gave them punny, rhythmic names that roll off the tongue, and often placed them in elaborate curvilinear architectural structures that followed a logic of their own.

    Blog text (24)

  • I bet there are punny little Back to the Future license plates all over the country.

    Blog text (20)

  • It's kind of a clever, punny, funny costume.

  • I mean, it's, it's got a built in joke, you know, some tongue in cheek punny humor.

  • And actually, since hockey smart books love a punny title, Lord of the Rings could be good Emily Rath.

  • 'Busy' wasn't the right word for it, though. 'Consumed' would have been better if it hadn't been so punny.

    Academic text (2007)

  • I used the not-so-spooky bat and matching punny sentiment from the Sweet Spooks set from Market Street Stamps for the card.

    Blog text (5)

  • I heard a punny joke that had everyone laughing at the party.

  • Her punny remarks always lighten the mood during meetings.

  • The comedian was known for his punny style, making clever wordplay a key part of his act.

Synonyms

funny
vspunny
∞ 1.0

Causing people to laugh or smile

achieves amusement primarily through clever word play
comic
vspunny
289 1.9

Funny and meant to make people laugh

does so by using puns and word play rather than broader performance styles
witty
vspunny
85 3.8

Quick clever remarks that make people laugh

focuses specifically on clever word play to provoke laughter
humorous
vspunny
76 1.6

Funny in a way that makes people laugh

targets laughter through specific word play rather than general humor
comical
vspunny
39 3.1

Making people laugh because it is silly or unusual

creates laughter through clever word play rather than silliness
comedic
vspunny
34 3.7

About being funny and making people laugh

uses word play specifically rather than wider humorous methods
jokey
vspunny
  • Informal
6 3.9

Said or done to be funny rather than serious

uses clever word play to make people laugh rather than mere playfulness
joking
vspunny
2 1.2

Meant to be funny, not serious

aims to create laughter by using word play rather than general playfulness
quippy
vspunny
1 8.1

Saying quick clever remarks that are often funny and a little sarcastic

relies on playful word play rather than general witty remarks
hilar
vspunny
  • Slang
9.9

Very funny and makes people laugh a lot

is narrower, using word play to provoke laughter rather than general humor

How Punny

witty
85 3.8
punny
  • Informal
1 9.0
corny
  • Informal
81 5.8

Surface Forms

punny positive
punnier comparative
punniest superlative

Morphology

punny = pun (transparent) = pun + y

Formed by the noun 'pun' plus productive adjectival suffix '-y' meaning 'characterised by', so the meaning is directly derived from the base.

Etymology

Punny comes from the short joke word pun, which began long ago as a playful slang name for a clever or silly 'word joke'. So punny means full of small, playful word jokes that make people laugh.