What does funnyman mean?
Funnyman is a noun used to describe a man who makes his living — or his reputation — by being funny, most commonly a comedian or comic performer. The term appears frequently in entertainment journalism, where critics refer to stand-up comics, comic actors, and vaudeville-style entertainers as funnymen. It also has a casual social meaning: the friend or colleague known as the group's jokester may be called its resident funnyman. Connotations are warm and informal rather than prestigious; the word signals good humor and quick wit more than serious artistry. Because it specifies a man, some modern usage favors the gender-neutral "comedian," though "funnyman" remains widespread in headlines and reviews. Derived from the adjective "funny" plus the generic suffix "-man", it emerged in the nineteenth century alongside the growth of professional mass entertainment, when newspapers needed a handy label for the new class of performers whose trade was laughter. It remains a convenient shorthand wherever comedy and malice-free amusement intersect.
nounA man whose profession or characteristic role is to be funny; a male comedian or humorist.
- A man who works as a comedian or entertainer known for making people laugh (e.g., a stand-up comic).
- More loosely, any man noted among his acquaintances for being funny or joking frequently.
"The club's headline funnyman had the audience roaring within minutes of taking the stage."
"After decades on stage, the veteran funnyman finally won the comedy award he deserved."
"Every office has its resident funnyman — the colleague whose impressions lighten even the dullest meetings."
The plural follows standard noun-plus-suffix compounding: because "-man" behaves like a suffix rather than an inflected word, compounds form plurals on the final element, giving "funnymen" rather than "funnymans".
"The festival lineup featured three of Britain's best-loved funnymen."
"Funnyman" dates back to the 19th century, when American newspapers coined it to describe the professional jokers of vaudeville and the comic stage.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of funnyman
Funnyman is formed from the English adjective "funny", which itself derives from "fun", a word with uncertain origins that entered English usage in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, combined with the long-standing English pattern of appending "-man" to denote a man associated with a trade or trait. The compound arose in the nineteenth century in Britain and America as professional comedy became an established occupation. Related formations from the same era include "funny bone" and the newspaper term "funnies" for comic strips.
How funnyman is actually used
Informal-to-journalistic register; common in entertainment writing and reviews, less so in formal academic prose. The word refers specifically to men; women comics are usually described simply as comedians, which can make 'funnyman' feel dated or gendered in some contexts. It carries an affectionate, lighthearted connotation rather than implying great artistic prestige.
Easily confused with funnyman
A humorist writes or reflects wittily (often in prose), whereas a funnyman typically performs comedy and jokes for laughs.