VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

unironically funny

adjective·Advancedinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌʌn aɪˈrɒnɪkli ˈfʌni/
US/ˌʌn aɪˈrɑːnɪkli ˈfʌni/

Meanings

  1. adjectivenot comparableinformal

    funny in a genuine way, not because the speaker is being sarcastic or mocking

    Grammar: Used after a linking verb: the film is unironically funny. Not usually used before a noun.

    Patterns

    • be unironically funny
    • find something unironically funny
    • something is unironically funny

    I expected the movie to be terrible, but it was unironically funny.

    His old tweets are unironically funny; people share them without any sarcasm.

    She said the show was unironically funny, meaning she laughed for real, not just at how bad it was.

  2. adjectivenot comparableinformal

    enjoyed as amusing even though it was not meant to be a joke, without pretending to laugh at it

    Grammar: Often used to show that the speaker is sincere, not just enjoying something as a joke.

    Patterns

    • find something unironically funny
    • unironically funny to someone

    The training video is unironically funny to anyone who has worked in an office.

    Some of the ads from the 1980s are unironically funny today.

    He found the politician's speech unironically funny and laughed without meaning to mock.

Common combinations

genuinely funny
Her stand-up routine is genuinely funny, not just shocking.
unironically enjoy something
I unironically enjoy watching old cartoons.
find something funny
I find his mistakes unironically funny.
so bad it's funny
The film is so bad it's funny, but some scenes are unironically funny too.

Synonyms and how they differ

genuinely funny
More neutral and formal; it simply means truly amusing, without the contrast with irony.
actually funny
Informal and similar, but it can also mean 'funny in reality' rather than 'funny without irony'.

Opposites

ironically funny

Word family

irony noun
The use of words to mean the opposite, or a situation that seems opposite to what is expected.
ironic adjective
Using or showing irony.
unironic adjective
Not using irony; sincere.

Commonly confused: unironically funny or ironically funny?

unironically funny vs ironically funny

'Ironically funny' means funny because of the irony or because it is badly done. 'Unironically funny' means funny in a sincere, straightforward way.

Practice

I thought the video would be a joke, but it turned out to be _____ funny and I laughed honestly.

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “unironically funny”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words