plural humors
1
a
: that quality which appeals to a sense of the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous : a funny or amusing quality
Try to appreciate the humor of the situation.
b
: the mental faculty of discovering, expressing, or appreciating the ludicrous or absurdly incongruous : the ability to be funny or to be amused by things that are funny
a woman with a great sense of humor
c
: something that is or is designed to be comical or amusing
The book is a collection of American humor.
not a fan of the comedian's brand of humor
2
a
: an often temporary state of mind imposed especially by circumstances
was in no humor to listen
b
: characteristic or habitual disposition or bent : temperament
of cheerful humor
c
in ancient and medieval physiology
: one of the four fluids that were believed to enter into the constitution of the body and to determine by their relative proportions a person's health and temperament see black bile, blood entry 1 sense 4a(2), phlegm sense 2, yellow bile
d
: a sudden, unpredictable, or unreasoning inclination : whim
… conceived the humor of impeaching casual passers-by … and wreaking vengeance on them.—
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickensthe uncertain humors of nature
humored; humoring
ˈhyü-mə--riŋ 
ˈyü-mə-,
ˈhyüm-,
ˈyüm-
1
: to soothe or content (someone) by indulgence : to comply with the temperament or inclinations of
The only way to get along with him is to humor him.
I know you don't agree, but just humor me.
2
: to adapt oneself to
… yielding to, and humoring the motion of the limbs and twigs …—William Bartram
William Bartram
Did you know?
In the Middle Ages it was believed that a person’s health and disposition were the result of a balance of four fluids in the body. These fluids were called humors, from the Latin word humor, meaning “moisture.” The fluids were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. If a person had a cheerful disposition, it was said to be a result of an excess of blood. A sluggish disposition was the result of an excess of phlegm. A hot-tempered disposition was said to be caused by an excess of yellow bile, and the disposition of a gloomy person was the result of an excess of black bile. In time, humor came to be used as a general term for “disposition or temperament.” From this developed the sense of “a changeable state of mind” or “mood.” More recently humor has come to refer to something that is funny.
Synonyms
Examples of humor in a Sentence
Noun
He didn't appreciate the humor of the situation.
Someday, you'll see the humor in this.
Everyone likes the gentle humor of his stories of family life.
She doesn't care for ethnic humor.
The book is a collection of American humor.
His humor is one of his most attractive qualities.
Verb
The only way to get along with him is to humor him.
humored her grandfather by listening to his war stories for the hundredth time
Recent Examples on the Web
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Detroit rep favorite Antoine McKay, always dependable and able to mine great humor from even the most serious moments, brings warmth and belly laughs to the part of salesman Russell.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Along the way, he’s been writing: plays, screenplays, silly songs for his private amusement, and humor pieces for McSweeney’s and The New Yorker.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for humor 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Blend humor, vulnerability and appreciation to create a unified, inclusive environment.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Detroit rep favorite Antoine McKay, always dependable and able to mine great humor from even the most serious moments, brings warmth and belly laughs to the part of salesman Russell.
—Duante Beddingfield, Detroit Free Press, 20 Nov. 2024
Verb
The women can barely humor Wendy’s desire to go skydiving and travel before returning back to battle.
—Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
Along the way, he’s been writing: plays, screenplays, silly songs for his private amusement, and humor pieces for McSweeney’s and The New Yorker.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for humor
Articles Related to humor
Dictionary Entries Near humor
Cite this Entry
“Humor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humor. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
humor
1 of 2 noun
hu·mor
ˈhyü-mər
ˈyü-
1
: a changeable state of mind often influenced by circumstances
in a bad humor
2
: the amusing quality of things
the humor of a situation
3
: the power to see or tell about the amusing or comic side of things
4
: something that is humorous
humorless
adjective
-ləs
humorlessness
noun
humor
2 of 2 verb
humored; humoring
ˈhyüm-(ə-)riŋ
ˈyüm-
: to go along with the wishes or mood of
humor a sick person
Etymology
Noun
Middle English humour "one of the four bodily fluids thought to affect a person's health," from early French umor, umour (same meaning), derived from Latin humor, umor "moisture"
Word Origin
In the Middle Ages it was believed that a person's health and disposition were the result of a balance or imbalance of four fluids in the body. These fluids were called "humors," from the Latin word humor, meaning "moisture." These fluids were blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. If a person had a cheerful, confident disposition, it was said to be a result of an excess of blood. Such a person was called "sanguine," from the Latin word sanguis, meaning "blood." A sluggish disposition was said to be the result of an excess of phlegm. A person having such a disposition was called "phlegmatic," from the Greek word phlegma, meaning "flame, phlegm." A fiery, hot-tempered disposition was said to be caused by an excess of yellow bile. A person with this disposition was said to be "choleric," from the Greek word cholē, meaning "bile." The disposition of a gloomy, depressed person was said to be the result of an excess of black bile. Such a person was called "melancholy," from the Greek words melan-, meaning "black," and cholē, meaning "bile." In time the word humor came to be used as a general term for "disposition or temperament." From this developed the sense of "a changeable state of mind" or "mood." More recently humor has come to refer to something that is funny.
Medical Definition
humor
noun
hu·mor
1
a
: a normal functioning bodily semifluid or fluid (as the blood or lymph)
b
: a secretion (as a hormone) that is an excitant of activity
2
in ancient and medieval physiology
: one of the four fluids that were believed to enter into the constitution of the body and to determine by their relative proportions a person's health and temperament see black bile, blood sense 3, phlegm sense 2, yellow bile
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share