Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense humours, present participle humouring, past tense, past participle humouredregional note: in AM, use humor
1. uncountable noun
You can refer to the amusing things that people say as their humour.
Her humour and determination were a source of inspiration to others.
2. See also sense of humour
3. uncountable noun
Humour is a quality in something that makes you laugh, for example in a situation, in someone's words or actions, or in a book or film.
She felt sorry for the man but couldn't ignore the humour of the situation. [+ of]
Synonyms: comedy, funniness, fun, amusement More Synonyms of humour
4. variable noun
If you are in a good humour, you feel cheerful and happy, and are pleasant to people. If you are in a bad humour, you feel bad-tempered and unhappy, and are unpleasant to people.
Christina was still not clear why he had been in such ill humour.
Next day, Louis XIV was in the best of humours.
Synonyms: mood, spirits, temper, disposition More Synonyms of humour
5. uncountable noun [adjective NOUN]
If you do something with good humour, you do it cheerfully and pleasantly.
Hugo bore his illness with great courage and good humour.
6. verb
If you humour someone who is behaving strangely, you try to please them or pretend to agree with them, so that they will not become upset.
She will actually sit and watch them with me, to humour me. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: indulge, accommodate, go along with, spoil More Synonyms of humour
More Synonyms of humour
humour in British English
or US humor (ˈhjuːmə)
noun
1.
the quality of being funny
2. Also called: sense of humour
the ability to appreciate or express that which is humorous
3.
situations, speech, or writings that are thought to be humorous
4.
a.
a state of mind; temper; mood
b.
(in combination)
ill humour
good humour
5.
temperament or disposition
6.
a caprice or whim
7.
any of various fluids in the body, esp the aqueous humour and vitreous humour
8. Also called: cardinal humour archaic
any of the four bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, choler or yellow bile, melancholy or black bile) formerly thought to determine emotional and physical disposition
9. out of humour
verb(transitive)
10.
to attempt to gratify; indulge
he humoured the boy's whims
11.
to adapt oneself to
to humour someone's fantasies
Derived forms
humourful (ˈhumourful) or US humorful (ˈhumorful)
adjective
humourless (ˈhumourless) or US humorless (ˈhumorless)
adjective
humourlessness (ˈhumourlessness) or US humorlessness (ˈhumorlessness)
noun
Word origin
C14: from Latin humor liquid; related to Latin ūmēre to be wet, Old Norse vökr moist, Greek hugros wet
humour in American English
(ˈhjumər)
noun, verb transitive
British
humor
COBUILD Collocations
humour
dark humour
dry humour
surreal humour
wry humour
Examples of 'humour' in a sentence
humour
There was not a trace of feigning good humour.
The Sun (2016)
You need quite a sense of humour to find that amusing.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
She has taken her newfound fame in good humour.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Good humour will get you only so far.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
And all of it took place in a gentle mist of good humour.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The humour hid a dry determination.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
His humour is dry and he has the ability to join in a fight, unlike his shiny gold friend.
The Sun (2016)
Oh and, by the way, you needed a sense of humour and warmth.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
On the contrary, they ask us to face them head on with courage, humour and fortitude.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Pity that their dry northern humour seems a little jaded.
The Sun (2006)
Despite losing his voice to cancer he was full of courage and humour.
The Sun (2013)
They gave me extra help with good humour and understanding.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
These are the people who used humour to avoid conflict in the playground.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Thankfully there was still lots of humour on the terraces.
The Sun (2011)
It shows how much people love the programme and how much humour they find in it.
The Sun (2012)
The other books have been humour with emotional bits.
The Sun (2011)
For me the most important trait in a man is humour.
The Sun (2014)
You are finding humour in many situations and others see a new side to you.
The Sun (2015)
What is missing here is humour and warmth.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He has a wry sense of humour and an astonishing smile.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
His dry humour could soothe the most fraught situation.
The Sun (2013)
Her good humour is strictly for company.
Steel, Elizabeth Coping With Sudden Hair Loss (1988)
The humour of the people is in a league of its own.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
His sense of humour still had not left him.
The Sun (2012)
The unification feels contrived: it is only the humour that feels true.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
What he does very well is down-to-earth physical humour.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Typically, he fought the disease with humour and courage.
The Sun (2010)
Despite a few good lines, too much of the humour feels thin and gentle.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
A personal trainer with a sense of humour is something to be treasured.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
I see only those with a very short attention span and a cruel sense of humour finding it entertaining.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Q Why do you think that your brand of humour has become so popular?
The Sun (2009)
Quotations
Humour is by far the most significant activity of the human brainEdward De Bono
Humor brings insight and tolerance. Irony brings a deeper and less friendly understandingAgnes RepplierIn Pursuit of Laughter
The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow. There is no humor in heavenMark TwainFollowing the Equator
There are men so philosophical that they can see humor in their own toothaches. But there has never lived a man so philosophical that he could see the toothache in his own humorH.L. MenckenA Mencken Chrestomathy
There seems to be no lengths to which humorless people will not go to analyze humor. It seems to worry themRobert BenchleyWhat Does It Mean?
Humour is falling downstairs if you do it while in the act of warning your wife not toKenneth Bird
Humour is emotional chaos remembered in tranquillityJames Thurber
In other languages
humour
British English: humour /ˈhjuːmə/ NOUN
You can refer to the amusing things that people say as their humour.
She is a fan of his outrageous humour.
American English: humor
Arabic: دُعَابَةٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: humor
Chinese: 幽默
Croatian: humor
Czech: humor
Danish: humor
Dutch: humor
European Spanish: humor gracia
Finnish: huumori
French: humour
German: Humor
Greek: χιούμορ
Italian: umorismo
Japanese: ユーモア
Korean: 유머
Norwegian: humor
Polish: humor
European Portuguese: humor
Romanian: umor
Russian: юмор
Latin American Spanish: humor
Swedish: humor
Thai: อารมณ์ขัน
Turkish: mizah
Ukrainian: гумор
Vietnamese: sự hài hước
British English: humour VERB
If you humour someone who is behaving strangely, you try to please them or pretend to agree with them, so that they will not become upset.
She disliked the singer but was prepared to tolerate her for a weekend in order to humor her husband.
American English: humor
Brazilian Portuguese: fazer a vontade de
Chinese: 迁就
European Spanish: complacer
French: faire plaisir à
German: seinen Willen lassen
Italian: assecondare
Japanese: 機嫌をとる
Korean: 비위를 맞추다
European Portuguese: fazer a vontade a
Latin American Spanish: complacer
All related terms of 'humour'
dark humour
Humour is a quality in something that makes you laugh , for example in a situation, in someone's words or actions, or in a book or film.
dry humour
You can refer to the amusing things that people say as their humour .
ill humour
a disagreeable or sullen mood ; bad temper
wry humour
Humour is a quality in something that makes you laugh , for example in a situation, in someone's words or actions, or in a book or film.
black humour
→ another name for black (sense 6 )
toilet humour
scatological or vulgar jokes
aqueous humour
the watery fluid within the eyeball between the cornea and the lens
cardinal humour
any of the four bodily fluids (blood, phlegm , choler or yellow bile , melancholy or black bile) formerly thought to determine emotional and physical disposition
gallows humour
sinister and ironic humour
lavatory humour
humour characterized by excessive mention of lavatories and the excretory functions; vulgar or scatological humour
surreal humour
Humour is a quality in something that makes you laugh , for example in a situation, in someone's words or actions, or in a book or film.
vitreous humour
the aqueous fluid contained within the interstices of the vitreous body
out of humour
in a bad mood
sense of humour
Someone who has a sense of humour often finds things amusing, rather than being serious all the time.
sense of humour failure
If there is a failure of something, for example a machine or part of the body, it goes wrong and stops working or developing properly.
Chinese translation of 'humour'
humour
or (US) humor
(ˈhjuːməʳ)
n(u)
幽默 (yōumò)
vt
[person]迎合 (yínghé)
sense of humour幽默感 (yōumògǎn)
to be in good/bad humour情绪(緒)好/不好 (qíngxù hǎo/bù hǎo)
1 (noun)
Definition
the quality of being funny
She couldn't ignore the humour of the situation.
Synonyms
comedy
He and I provided the comedy with songs and monologues.
funniness
fun
She had a great sense of fun.
amusement
funny side
jocularity
facetiousness
ludicrousness
drollery
comical aspect
Opposites
grief
,
gravity
,
sadness
,
sorrow
,
seriousness
,
melancholy
,
sobriety
,
solemnity
2 (noun)
Definition
a state of mind
Could that have been the source of his good humour?
Synonyms
mood
You are clearly in a good mood today.
spirits
temper
He's known for his placid temper.
disposition
his friendly and cheerful disposition
frame of mind
She was not in the right frame of mind to continue.
3 (noun)
The play blended light humour with serious themes.
Synonyms
joking
jokes
comedy
wit
Bill was known for his biting wit.
gags (informal)
farce
jesting
jests
wisecracks (informal)
pleasantry
witticisms
wittiness
4 (noun)
Synonyms
whim
We decided, more or less on a whim, to sail to Morocco.
mood
fancy
His interest was just a passing fancy.
bent
a bent for natural history
bias
There were fierce attacks on the BBC for alleged political bias.
freak
quirk
the quirks and foibles of people in everyday situations
propensity
She hadn't reckoned on his propensity for violence.
vagary
a coat as a provision against the vagaries of the weather
protection against operational vagaries
(verb)
Definition
to be kind and indulgent to
She humoured her boss to avoid arguments.
Synonyms
indulge
She did not agree with indulging children.
accommodate
go along with
spoil
Spoil yourself with a new perfume this summer.
flatter
I knew he was just flattering me.
pamper
Her parents have pampered her since the day she was born.
gratify
Her work at the Treasury gratified her sense of self-importance.
pander to
mollify
cosset
fawn on
Opposites
oppose
,
stand up to
,
aggravate
subject word lists
See Bodily humours
Quotations
Humour is by far the most significant activity of the human brain [Edward De Bono]Humor brings insight and tolerance. Irony brings a deeper and less friendly understanding [Agnes Repplier – In Pursuit of Laughter]The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven [Mark Twain – Following the Equator]There are men so philosophical that they can see humor in their own toothaches. But there has never lived a man so philosophical that he could see the toothache in his own humor [H.L. Mencken – A Mencken Chrestomathy]There seems to be no lengths to which humorless people will not go to analyze humor. It seems to worry them [Robert Benchley – What Does It Mean?]Humour is falling downstairs if you do it while in the act of warning your wife not to [Kenneth Bird]Humour is emotional chaos remembered in tranquillity [James Thurber]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bent
Definition
personal inclination or aptitude
a bent for natural history
Synonyms
inclination,
ability,
taste,
facility,
talent,
leaning,
tendency,
preference,
faculty,
forte,
flair,
knack,
penchant,
bag (slang),
propensity,
aptitude,
predisposition,
predilection,
proclivity (formal),
turn of mind
in the sense of bias
Definition
mental tendency, esp. prejudice
There were fierce attacks on the BBC for alleged political bias.