Antonyms for humor

Grammar : Noun

Spell : hyoo-mer or, often, yoo-

Phonetic Transcription : ˈhyu mər or, often, ˈyu-

Definition of humor

Origin : mid-14c., "fluid or juice of an animal or plant," from Old North French humour (Old French humor; Modern French humeur), from Latin umor "body fluid" (also humor, by false association with humus "earth"); related to umere "be wet, moist," and to uvescere "become wet," from PIE *wegw- "wet."
In ancient and medieval physiology, "any of the four body fluids" (blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy or black bile) whose relative proportions were thought to determine state of mind. This led to a sense of "mood, temporary state of mind" (first recorded 1520s); the sense of "amusing quality, funniness" is first recorded 1680s, probably via sense of "whim, caprice" (1560s), which also produced the verb sense of "indulge," first attested 1580s. "The pronunciation of the initial h is only of recent date, and is sometimes omitted ...." [OED] For types of humor, see the useful table below, from H.W. Fowler ["Modern English Usage," 1926].

noun comedy, funniness
noun mood, temperament

Example sentences :

He did not believe Hines; yet he had to humor him, in a measure.
Extract from : « Biography of a Slave » by Charles Thompson

It is not humor that is irreverent, but the mind that gives it the wrong turn.
Extract from : « Weighed and Wanting » by George MacDonald

They recognized the humor hidden in the answer, and enjoyed it.
Extract from : « Ester Ried Yet Speaking » by Isabella Alden

Rosenfeld eyed him suspiciously, but, possessing a sense of humor also, he grinned.
Extract from : « K » by Mary Roberts Rinehart

But either Epimetheus had not heard the tap, or was too much out of humor to notice it.
Extract from : « The Paradise of Children » by Nathaniel Hawthorne

That was hardly possible, for Jane had a keen sense of humor.
Extract from : « Quaint Courtships » by Various

The zany was progenitor to the specialist in humor, as we to-day have the unhappiness to know him.
Extract from : « The Devil's Dictionary » by Ambrose Bierce

It seemed, however, as if the humor of the animal had suddenly changed.
Extract from : « The Last of the Mohicans » by James Fenimore Cooper

Here is a specimen of his graceful blending of irony and humor.
Extract from : « The Works of Whittier, Volume VI (of VII) » by John Greenleaf Whittier

They called it humor, but it sounded like something quite different.
Extract from : « American Notes » by Rudyard Kipling

Synonyms for humor

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019