Everyday · Humour & insults · Talking & language
Pun: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Pun noun. A joke that plays on a word with two meanings or on words that sound alike.
How to say it
PUN/pʌn/
1 syllable.
Pun in a sentence
The cheese shop's name, 'Brie Here Now', is a pun the owner refuses to apologise for.
Every pun Dad makes is greeted by a groan, which he counts as a win.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- wordplay
- double meaning
- play on words
- double entendre
Where pun comes from
First recorded in the 17th century; perhaps short for Italian puntiglio, a fine point, but nobody is sure.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Every _____ Dad makes is greeted by a groan, which he counts as a win.
- pun
- pettifogger
- bumbershoot
Show the answer
pun: Every pun Dad makes is greeted by a groan, which he counts as a win.