puns
Groan-inducing jokes
Puns are jokes that exploit words with multiple meanings or similar sounds.
A pun on "sole" might involve fish and shoes; one on "time flies" might take the phrase literally.
Puns range from clever wordplay to groan-inducing dad jokes.
To pun is to make such jokes: He couldn't resist punning on her name.
Rhetorical use of puns
- homophonesIdentically pronounced words
- homonymsSame-sound different-meaning words
- play-on-wordsJoke exploiting double meanings
- spoonerismAccidental sound transposition
malapropism · portmanteau · anagram · palindrome · acrostic · zeugma · polysemy · ambiguity
Joke inducing sighs
- one-linerBrief standalone joke
- gagMouth restraint or jest
- quipBrief, clever remark
- zingerPointed witty remark
knee-slapper · corny · cheesy · eye-roll · cringe · groan-worthy · silly · lighthearted
Showing mental quickness
- sharpFine-edged, or astute
- ingeniousCleverly original in design
- subtleNot immediately obvious
- drollOddly humorous
whimsical · banter · repartee · wordsmith · sophistication · quick-witted · sly · double-entendre
Door-announcing sound repeated
paronomasia
Rhetorical use of puns
- homophonesIdentically pronounced words
- homonymsSame-sound different-meaning words
- play-on-wordsJoke exploiting double meanings
spoonerism · malapropism · portmanteau · anagram · palindrome · acrostic · zeugma · polysemy · ambiguity · equivocation
groaner
Joke inducing sighs
zinger · knee-slapper · corny · cheesy · eye-roll · cringe · groan-worthy · silly · lighthearted · comedic
clever
Showing mental quickness
droll · whimsical · banter · repartee · wordsmith · sophistication · quick-witted · sly · double-entendre · innuendo
knock-knock
Door-announcing sound repeated
- comedycomedy, jokes, humor, sarcasm, stand-up
- humorjoke, jokes, joking, comedy, comic
- kid comedyknock-knock jokes, potty humor, poop jokes, silly faces, funny faces
- language usejargon, idiom, idioms, slang, dialect
- clever humordry wit, wordplay, clever wordplay, clever banter, irony
- comedy stylesjokes, sarcasm, irony, parody, satire
punsslapstick
Exaggerated physical humor
physical comedy · pratfalls · sight gags · visual humor · clowning
- bad punGroan-worthy wordplay
- no pun intendedDisclaimer following coincidental wordplay
- capital punishmentExecution by legal authority
- glutton for punishmentOne who seeks suffering
- sucker for punishmentOne who invites suffering
- corporal punishmentInflicting pain as penalty
punish, punishment, puny, pun, pungent, puncture, punitive, punning, punishable