Meaning & use

having fun

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌhævɪŋ ˈfʌn/
US/ˌhævɪŋ ˈfʌn/

“having fun” is a form of “have fun”.

Meaning

  1. phrasefixed phrase

    Enjoying yourself; doing something pleasant and enjoyable.

    Grammar: The -ing form of 'have fun'; used as a verb phrase or after 'be': They are having fun. Not used before a noun.

    Patterns

    • be having fun
    • having fun with someone
    • having fun doing something

    The kids are having fun at the beach.

    I'm having fun learning to cook new dishes.

    Are you having fun at the party?

Word forms

base formhave fun
third person singularhas fun
past tensehad fun
past participlehad fun
present participlehaving fun

Common combinations

have fun with somebody
She loves having fun with her cousins at family gatherings.
have fun doing something
We had fun exploring the old town.
have fun at something
Did you have fun at the concert last night?
have a lot of fun
They had a lot of fun at the amusement park.

Synonyms and how they differ

enjoy yourself
Enjoy yourself is a more formal way to say the same thing; having fun is more casual and common in speech.
have a good time
Have a good time is very similar but often refers to a specific event or period; having fun can be more general.

Opposites

be boredsuffer

Word family

fun noun
Enjoyment or pleasure.
fun adjective
Enjoyable; making you feel happy.
funny adjective
Making you laugh; humorous. Not the same as 'fun'.

Commonly confused: having fun or funny?

having fun vs funny

Funny means 'making you laugh' or 'strange'. Having fun means enjoying yourself. You can have fun without anything being funny.

Practice

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