52 Funny Words to Say in English

There’ll come a time when you’ve mastered the most common English words – those two or three thousand words make up around 90% of all English communication – and you want to add more exciting and funny words to your vocabulary. Luckily, English is full of unique and weird words you can use to add humor to your language.

If you’re still a beginner, stick to the most common words, bookmark this article, and come back to it when you’re ready. If you’re up for a challenge, we’ve got 52 funny English words from ‘absquatulate’ to ‘zarf’ for you to learn. These doozies will add color and humor to your English and allow you to be playful with your language.

52 funny-sounding words in English

Before we get into the words, let’s discuss how we chose them. All the words on this list have funny pronunciation, meaning or spelling. They’re all unique words you can use to add humor to your English.

But many of these words are so uncommon and unique that even many native speakers won’t understand them. They’re not words you should use in daily conversations often. Some of them are old words we don’t use anymore. And many of them are slang that is inappropriate for formal communication.

The common words on the list (the words most people understand) have a next to them, so you know which ones are safe to use in everyday communication. The words without might be helpful if you do creative writing, but even then, be careful about using them. When you communicate, the goal is always to be clear. Being funny is great, too. But being understandable is more important.

You’ll find the part of speech, pronunciation, meaning, and an example sentence for each word on the list.

Funny English words

1. Absquatulate

Part of speech: Verb

Pronunciation: ab-SKWAH-chuh-leyt

Meaning: To leave abruptly or to flee

Example sentence: His ex-girlfriend was at the party so he absquatulated as soon as he’d arrived.

2. Baboonery

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: buh-BOO-nuh-ree

Meaning: Foolish or silly behavior

Example sentence: The students' baboonery during class earned them an hour in detention after school.

3. Bloviate

Part of speech: Verb

Pronunciation: BLOH-vee-eyt

Meaning: To speak pompously or at length

Example sentence: The audience was yawning as the politician bloviated about his accomplishments for hours.

4. Blunderbuss

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: BLUN-der-buhs

Meaning: An old gun with a short barrel bore and a flaring muzzle

Example sentence: The old man threatened the trespassers with his trusty blunderbuss.

5. Bumbershoot

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: BUM-ber-shoot

Meaning: An umbrella

Example sentence: She always carried a bright yellow bumbershoot – even on sunny days.

6. Canoodle

Part of speech: Verb

Pronunciation: kuh-NOO-dl

Meaning: To kiss and cuddle amorously

Example sentence: The young couple canoodled in the park without concern for everyone else there.

7. Cater-cornered

Part of speech: Adjective

Pronunciation: KAT-er-kawr-nerd

Meaning: Diagonally opposite

Example sentence: The bank is cater-cornered from the post office.

8. Cockalorum

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: kok-uh-LAWR-uhm

Meaning: A boastful and self-important person

Example sentence: Everyone was tired of listening to the cockalorum talk about how great he was.

9. Collop

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: KOL-uhp

Meaning: A slice of meat

Example sentence: He cooked a collop of bacon for breakfast.

10.Collywobbles

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: KOL-ee-wob-uhlz

Meaning: Stomach pain or queasiness (from nerves, for example)

Example sentence: I had collywobbles when I was waiting for the job interview to start.

11. Comeuppance

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: kuhm-UHP-uhns

Meaning: A punishment or fate that one deserves

Example sentence: After years of cheating, he finally got his comeuppance when his wife caught him with his girlfriend.

12. Crapulence

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: KRAP-yuh-luhns

Meaning: Discomfort from eating or drinking too much

Example sentence: I had terrible crapulence the morning after the party.

13. Discombobulate

Part of speech: Verb

Pronunciation: dis-kuhm-BOB-yuh-leyt

Meaning: To confuse or disconcert

Example sentence: The process is complex on purpose because they’re trying to discombobulate you.

14. Dongle

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: DONG-guhl

Meaning: A small device that plugs into a computer or TV, allowing access to the internet or software

Example sentence: He plugged the dongle into his laptop to access the internet.

15.Doozy

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: DOO-zee

Meaning: Something outstanding or unique of its kind

Example sentence: The party was a real doozy, with live music and unbelievable food.

16. Fartlek

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: FAHRT-lek

Meaning: A kind of running training that uses intervals and different speeds

Example sentence: The cross-country team made big improvements after including fartlek workouts in their training.

17. Filibuster

Part of speech: Noun, Verb

Pronunciation: FIL-uh-buhs-ter

Meaning: Using long speeches to delay a political decision

Example sentence: The senator launched a filibuster to delay the passage of the controversial bill.

18. Flibbertigibbet

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: FLIB-er-tee-jib-it

Meaning: An excessively talkative person

Example sentence: The flibbertigibbet chatted non-stop about her social life even though no one was interested.

19.Flummox

Part of speech: Verb

Pronunciation: FLUHM-uhks

Meaning: To bewilder or confuse someone

Example sentence: The test question flummoxed even the smartest kids.

20. Folderol

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: FAHL-duh-rahl

Meaning: Unnecessary words or actions

Example sentence: The politician's speech was full of folderol and empty promises.

21. Fuddy-duddy

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: FUH-dee-DUH-dee

Meaning: An old-fashioned or conservative person

Example sentence: Dad’s such a fuddy-duddy – he won’t listen to hip-hop music because it includes swear words.

22. Furphy

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: FUR-fee

Meaning: A false rumor or story

Example sentence: She isn’t dead – that rumor was a furphy.

23. Gastromancy

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: GAS-truh-man-see

Meaning: Predicting the future from the sounds coming from the stomach

Example sentence: The fortune teller claimed to practice gastromancy, so she listened to my stomach, but all her predictions were wrong.

24. Glabella

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: gluh-BEL-uh

Meaning: The smooth part of the forehead between the eyebrows

Example sentence: What’s that on your glabella? It looks like ketchup or something.

25. Gobbledygook

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: GOB-uhl-dee-gook

Meaning: Language that is meaningless or hard to understand because it has too many technical terms or jargon

Example sentence: The contract was full of legal gobbledygook that the average person couldn't understand.

26. Gobemouche

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: GAHB-moosh

Meaning: A gullible person who believes everything they hear

Example sentence: She’s such a gobemouche – she believes everything she sees on Facebook.

27. Gongoozler

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: GONG-gooz-ler

Meaning: A person who enjoys watching boats on canals

Example sentence: When you float down the canal in your boat, wave at all the gongoozlers. It’ll make them really happy.

28. Gonzo

Part of speech: Adjective

Pronunciation: GAHN-zoh

Meaning: Bizarre or unconventional

Example sentence: The gonzo journalist's writing style was full of wild exaggerations and crazy stories.

29. Hobbledehoy

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: HOB-uhl-dee-hoy

Meaning: An awkward or ill-mannered young man

Example sentence: When I was a teenager, I was a hobbledehoy – I never knew how to act in social situations.

30. Hoosegow

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: HOOS-gow

Meaning: A jail or prison

Example sentence: They caught the bank robber and sent him to the hoosegow.

31. Jackanapes

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: JAK-uh-neyps

Meaning: A disrespectful and naughty person

Example sentence: The young jackanapes was always rude to his neighbors.

32. Kerfuffle

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: ker-FUHF-uhl

Meaning: A disturbance caused by conflicting views or a dispute

Example sentence: When the city council announced the new name of the park, there was a kerfuffle in the community.

33. Lollygag

Part of speech: Verb

Pronunciation: LOL-ee-gag

Meaning: To spend time aimlessly or idly

Example sentence: The students are always lollygagging in the halls in between classes.

34. Maverick

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: MAV-rik

Meaning: An independent person who doesn’t follow the group

Example sentence: The maverick scientist's unconventional approach led to groundbreaking discoveries and a Nobel prize.

35. Mollycoddle

Part of speech: Verb

Pronunciation: MOL-ee-kod-l

Meaning: To give someone (usually a child) too much care, attention and protection

Example sentence: Many parents mollycoddle their children, never letting them face challenges on their own.

36.Mugwump

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: MUHG-wuhmp

Meaning: A person who is politically independent and remains neutral

Example sentence: The mugwump won’t align with either the Democrats or Republicans – they prefer to make decisions based on merit.

37. Mumpsimus

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: MUHMP-sih-muhs

Meaning: A person who insists on sticking with an unreasonable custom or an incorrect word out of habit or stubbornness

Example sentence: We told him it was a mistake, but the mumpsimus didn’t listen and continued using the wrong word in his speech.

38. Ornery

Part of speech: Adjective

Pronunciation: AWR-nuh-ree

Meaning: Being bad-tempered, irritable and difficult to control

Example sentence: The ornery old man complained nonstop and started fights with his neighbors.

39. Pettifogger

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: PET-ee-fog-er

Meaning: An inferior, petty and unscrupulous lawyer

Example sentence: It’s no surprise the court case went badly for the defendant because he had hired a pettifogger to defend him.

40. Rambunctious

Part of speech: Adjective

Pronunciation: ram-BUHNGK-shuhs

Meaning: Energetic and difficult to control

Example sentence: Enjoy the peaceful time with your newborn child, because before you know it, they’ll be a rambunctious toddler.

41. Ranivorous

Part of speech: Adjective

Pronunciation: ruh-NIV-er-uhs

Meaning: Animals or birds that eat frogs

Example sentence: This ranivorous snake hunts frogs in the wetlands.

42. Rigmarole

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: RIG-muh-rohl

Meaning: A long, complicated, and tedious procedure

Example sentence: Getting a visa to live in Australia is a rigmarole.

43. Shenanigan

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: shuh-NAN-i-guhn

Meaning: A mischievous or deceitful trick

Example sentence: The last day of school is usually full of shenanigans.

44. Skedaddle

Part of speech: Verb

Pronunciation: ski-DAD-l

Meaning: To run away

Example sentence: If the teacher comes around the corner, skedaddle.

45. Skullduggery

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: skuhl-DUHG-uh-ree

Meaning: Deceitful and dishonest behavior to get an advantage

Example sentence: The company recorded record profits last year, but an investigation found that it was an illusion created by accounting skullduggery.

46. Slangwhanger

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: SLANG-hwang-er

Meaning: A person (usually a journalist or politician) who uses insulting and critical language

Example sentence:

The slangwhanger's comments in the newspapers led to thousands of angry complaints.

47. Snollygoster

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: SNOL-ee-gos-ter

Meaning: An intelligent, unprincipled person (often a politician)

Example sentence: The snollygoster used empty promises and secret deals to gain power in the government.

48. Snool

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: SNOOL

Meaning: A person afraid of people with higher status

Example sentence: The snool was so afraid of his boss he never said no to his requests, no matter how unreasonable they were.

49. Tatterdemalion

Part of speech: Noun, Adjective

Pronunciation: tat-er-dih-MEYL-yuhn

Meaning: A person wearing ragged clothing

Example sentence: You’ve become a tatterdemalion like your father.

50. Troglodyte

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: TROG-luh-dahyt

Meaning: A person who is deliberately ignorant or old-fashioned

Example sentence: The stubborn troglodyte refuses to try new methods or technologies.

51. Valetudinarian

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: val-i-tood-n-AIR-ee-uhn

Meaning: A weak or sickly person who worries constantly about their health

Example sentence: The valetudinarian visited the doctor for every little thing.

52. Yahoo

Part of speech: Noun

Pronunciation: YA-hoo

Meaning: A crude, rude, or stupid person

Example sentence: The drunken yahoos caused a lot of trouble in a quiet neighborhood last night.

Add some humor to your English

These 52 funny words will add humor and color to your English. It’s safe to use the common words on the list (those with a * next to them) in everyday conversation. But don’t overuse them. The goal when speaking English is to be clear and easy to understand. Always. So sprinkle these words in when the time is right.

For the more uncommon words, it’s probably best to file them away under ‘interesting but useless’ knowledge. Even native and fluent speakers won’t understand them (to be honest, many of them were completely new to me, and I’ve spent most of my life teaching English). So while they’re not appropriate for everyday communication, they can certainly be a fun bit of language to know.