The Vocabulary of Humour
Learn the words to talk about what makes us laugh — types of humour, useful adjectives, and the word families the exam loves.
What is this lesson about?
Humour is anything that makes us laugh — a joke, a funny film, a silly situation. This lesson gives you the vocabulary to talk about humour in English: the types of humour, the adjectives that describe it, and the word families that appear in your exam.
عن ماذا يتحدث هذا الدرس؟
الفكاهة هي كل ما يجعلنا نضحك — نكتة، فيلم مضحك، موقف طريف. في هذا الدرس ستتعلّم مفردات الفكاهة بالإنجليزية: أنواع الفكاهة، والصفات التي تصفها، وعائلات الكلمات (الاسم/الفعل/الصفة) التي تظهر كثيرًا في الامتحان الوطني.
Types of humour
There are many forms of humour around us — on TV, online, and in everyday life. Learn to name them.
a joke
a sitcom
a prank
a caricature
stand-up comedy
a short story with a funny ending
a funny TV series about the same characters
a trick played on someone for fun
a funny drawing that exaggerates a person
one comedian telling jokes on stage
Adjectives to describe humour
Move beyond just “funny.” These adjectives make your English richer and more precise.
Word families — the exam favourite
The exam often gives you one form of a word and asks for another. Learn the noun, verb, and adjective together.
humour (noun) — a sense of humour
to amuse (verb) — The film amused us.
to entertain (verb) — He entertains the crowd.
a comedy (noun) — I love comedy.
laughter (noun) — the sound of laughter
humorous — a humorous story
amusing — an amusing joke
entertaining — an entertaining show
comic / comical — a comic actor
laughable — a laughable excuse
Useful expressions
These natural phrases about humour make your writing sound fluent — and examiners notice them.
Common mistakes to avoid
❌ The film was very humour. → ✅ The film was very humorous. (use the adjective)
❌ She laughed of the joke. → ✅ She laughed at the joke.
Your turn — choose the correct word
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1. A short story with a funny ending is a ___.
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2. Something extremely funny is ___.
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3. A funny TV series about the same characters is a ___.
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4. The film was very ___. (choose the adjective)
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5. A person who tells jokes on stage is a ___.
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6. “Witty” means ___.
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7. A trick played on someone for fun is a ___.
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8. She ___ at the joke.
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9. My grandfather has a great ___ of humour.
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10. Everyone ___ into laughter.
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11. Which word means NOT funny?
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12. A funny drawing that exaggerates someone is a ___.
Write 4–5 sentences about humour in your life. Try to answer:
- What makes you laugh the most (a sitcom, memes, a friend)?
- Who is the funniest person you know, and why?
- Use at least three words from this lesson (e.g. hilarious, crack a joke, sense of humour).
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