The Vocabulary of Humour

2nd Year Bac · Unit 2 · Vocabulary

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.

Kinds of humour

a jokea sitcoma comedy filmcartoonscaricaturespranksmemesstand-up comedya funny storyan impression

Word

a joke
a sitcom
a prank
a caricature
stand-up comedy

What it means

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.

Something that makes you laugh

funnyhilariousamusinghumorouswittycomicalentertaining

Not funny (careful!)

sillyridiculousdullseriousboring

💡 Good to know

Hilarious means extremely funny. Witty means clever and quick with words. Silly can be funny in a childish way — but can also mean foolish. Choose the exact word you mean.

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.

Noun / Verb

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

Adjective

humorous — a humorous story
amusing — an amusing joke
entertaining — an entertaining show
comic / comical — a comic actor
laughable — a laughable excuse

Exam tip

When you see “The show was very (humour)”, change the noun to the adjective: humorous. Always ask: does the sentence need a noun, a verb, or an adjective?

Useful expressions

These natural phrases about humour make your writing sound fluent — and examiners notice them.

Learn these phrases

to crack a joketo burst into laughterto have a sense of humourto make someone laughto tell a funny storyto be in stitchesjust kidding

In a sentence

My uncle loves to crack jokes at dinner, and we always burst into laughter. He really has a great sense of humour.

Common mistakes to avoid

⚠️ Watch out

❌ He is a funny man that makes jokes. → careful: a person who tells jokes professionally is a comedian.

❌ 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

1. A short story with a funny ending is a ___.
2. Something extremely funny is ___.
3. A funny TV series about the same characters is a ___.
4. The film was very ___. (choose the adjective)
5. A person who tells jokes on stage is a ___.
6. “Witty” means ___.
7. A trick played on someone for fun is a ___.
8. She ___ at the joke.
9. My grandfather has a great ___ of humour.
10. Everyone ___ into laughter.
11. Which word means NOT funny?
12. A funny drawing that exaggerates someone is a ___.

✏️ Your turn ✍️

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).