Meaning & use
all in good fun
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
Done as a joke or for amusement, without intending to hurt or offend anyone.
Grammar: Used as an adverbial phrase, often after a verb like 'tease', 'joke', or 'say'.
Patterns
- something is all in good fun
- do something all in good fun
- say something all in good fun
They teased him about his new haircut, but it was all in good fun.
The competition was all in good fun, and everyone laughed at the end.
She said the prank was all in good fun, but he didn't find it funny.
Common combinations
- tease someone all in good fun
- The kids teased their teacher all in good fun, and she smiled.
- be all in good fun
- The water fight was all in good fun.
- say something all in good fun
- He said I was slow, all in good fun.
- mean something all in good fun
- I didn't mean to insult you; it was all in good fun.
Synonyms and how they differ
- in jest
- More formal and literary; often used to clarify that a remark was not serious.
- jokingly
- Focuses on the manner of speaking or acting, not on the absence of harm.
- playfully
- Suggests a light, cheerful tone, but doesn't explicitly say no offense was meant.
Opposites
Commonly confused: all in good fun or for fun?
all in good fun vs for fun
Means 'for enjoyment' without the idea of avoiding offense. 'All in good fun' adds that no harm was intended.
Practice
Choose the sentence where 'all in good fun' is used correctly.
Choose one answer.
Option B fits because it describes teasing that was meant as a joke and didn't upset anyone. The others misuse the phrase: A suggests a serious apology, C suggests serious study, and D suggests a real argument.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “all in good fun”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.