Phrase guide

funny ha-ha

adj · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Humorous, as opposed to strange (the other meaning of funny).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, not-comparable

Examples

  • 1936, Ian Hay, The Housemaster What do you mean, funny? Funny peculiar or funny ha-ha?
  • 1938, Stevie Smith, Over The Frontier Is it in essence so extremely funny-ha-ha that it will bear this so frequent repetition?
  • 2003, Lesley Chamberlain, The Secret Artist: A Close Reading of Sigmund Freud Freud loves mistakes because they open up so much scope for humor, and he watches how what first strikes us as “funny ha ha” shades into “funny peculiar.”
  • 2004, W. R. Adams, Rairarubia In the morning, she couldn’t remember much, only that the dream left her feeling kind of funny inside. Not funny ha-ha, but funny weird-like.
  • 2005, C++ Cookbook First of all, they have funny syntax (not funny ha-ha, funny strange).

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ha-ha funny

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Humorous, as opposed to serious or nonfunny.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal, not-comparable

Examples

  • 1971, Harold Robbins, The Betsy But it wasn’t a funny ha-ha smile. It was the kind of smile you have when you find a friend.
  • 1999, Anna Fienberg, Borrowed Light Mostly he makes jokes about Mum’s cooking. Not the funny ha-ha jokes, more the sneery, condescending snipes that leave an uncomfortable silence, while you decide whose side you should be on.
  • 2003, Steven Cooper, With You in Spirit She laughs, not a funny ha-ha laugh but rather a tiny self-inflicted chuckle of disgust.
  • 2005, Jan Carole, Anatomy of Pain I laugh when talking about this; it is not the funny ha-ha kind of laugh, but the uncomfortable kind.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.