FUN, FUNNER, FUNNEST 😱Why does it sound strange to say“funner” or “funnest”?
Welcome to Ask the Editor. I’m Emily Brewster, an associate editor at Merriam-Webster.
The not-quite-kosher status of funner and funnest has its origin in the adjectival status itself of fun. Just as funnest party sounds strange to many of us, there are a number of people who also object to sentences like, “The party was really fun.”
They’d prefer we all use fun only as a noun.
Fun as a noun does continue to be more common, and there are still some who think uses like so fun, very fun, and fun times should be avoided in any kind of serious discourse, but their numbers are dwindling, and the adjective fun is fully accepted by a number of dictionaries, including ours.
They’re most natural when paired with other similar adjectives; a bigger and funner event, the funnest and funniest person.
I say, don’t hesitate to use them if you’re inclined to. It’ll be funner if you do.
For more from the Ask the Editor series, visit merriam-webster.com.
Adapted from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/video/fun-funner-funnest. Accessed on January 24, 2024. © 2024 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
- I’ve never been to a funner party.
- It was the funnest party I can remember.
The not-quite-kosher status of funner and funnest has its origin in the adjectival status itself of fun. Just as funnest party sounds strange to many of us, there are a number of people who also object to sentences like, “The party was really fun.”
They’d prefer we all use fun only as a noun.
- We had great fun.
- The party was such fun.
Fun as a noun does continue to be more common, and there are still some who think uses like so fun, very fun, and fun times should be avoided in any kind of serious discourse, but their numbers are dwindling, and the adjective fun is fully accepted by a number of dictionaries, including ours.
- Does this mean funner and funnest are destined for full acceptance, too? Certainly possible. Likely, even.
They’re most natural when paired with other similar adjectives; a bigger and funner event, the funnest and funniest person.
I say, don’t hesitate to use them if you’re inclined to. It’ll be funner if you do.
For more from the Ask the Editor series, visit merriam-webster.com.
Adapted from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/video/fun-funner-funnest. Accessed on January 24, 2024. © 2024 Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. All rights reserved.
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