Meaning & use
having fun
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“having fun” is a form of “have fun”.
Meaning
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 form | have fun |
|---|---|
| third person singular | has fun |
| past tense | had fun |
| past participle | had fun |
| present participle | having 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
Word family
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
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Have fun' is a fixed phrase with no article and no plural. 'Funny' is an adjective meaning humorous, and 'a fun' or 'funs' are not used in this expression.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “having fun”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.