punny
Groan-inducingly clever
Punny describes something characterized by puns—wordplay that exploits multiple meanings or similar-sounding words for humorous effect.
A punny joke or punny headline relies on this kind of verbal cleverness: That was a punny thing to say.
The word itself demonstrates what it means, being a pun on "funny."
Words with suggestive second meaning
- homophoneIdentically pronounced, differently spelled word
- paronomasiaRhetorical use of puns
- malapropismSound-alike word confusion
- spoonerismAccidental sound transposition
portmanteau · play-on-words · groanworthy · innuendo · linguistic · clever · quippy · eye-roll
double-entendre
Words with suggestive second meaning
- homophoneIdentically pronounced, differently spelled word
- paronomasiaRhetorical use of puns
- malapropismSound-alike word confusion
spoonerism · portmanteau · play-on-words · groanworthy · innuendo · linguistic · clever · quippy · eye-roll · cringe-worthy
groan
Low vocal expression of distress
cheesy · silly · amusing · lighthearted · playful · mirthful · eye-rolling · comedic · jokey · ridiculous
clever
Showing mental quickness
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- quick-wittedFast at thinking
- quipBrief, clever remark
wisecrack · banter · droll · facetious · whimsical · impish · mischievous · cheeky · sly · dry
- wordplaywordplay, word play, play on words, plays on words, double entendre
punnyliteral
Meaning exactly what's said
straightforward · direct · plain-spoken · unambiguous · prosaic
- bad punGroan-worthy wordplay
- no pun intendedDisclaimer following coincidental wordplay
- visual punsHumor conveyed through images
- animal punsWordplay involving creature names
- math punsArithmetic-based humor
- name punJoke exploiting name sounds
puny, pun, puns, punning, puniness, punster, punsters, punniest, punner