pun
verb · noun
Simple meaning
A joke or type of wordplay in which similar definitions or sounds of two words or phrases, or different definitions of the same word.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
puhnIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpʌn
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitive
To make or tell a pun; to make a play on words.
“Japanese like to pun--their language is well suited to punning.”
noun
A joke or type of wordplay in which similar definitions or sounds of two words or phrases, or different definitions of the same word, are deliberately confused.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C1 · Advanced
- Frequency
- Uncommon
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To make or tell a pun; to make a play on words.
Used this way, pun is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Japanese like to pun--their language is well suited to punning.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use pun
- “Japanese like to pun--their language is well suited to punning.”verb
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.