ENGLISH
REFERENCE

make fun of

idiom
Meaning

To tease, ridicule or make jokes about, generally in a pejorative manner.


Origin

first recorded 18th c.

Recorded 1737. Preserves the older meaning of fun, from Middle English fon, fonne (“foolish, simple, silly”), fun (c. 1700) meaning "a cheat, trick, hoax", from a verb fun meaning "to cheat, trick" (1680s).

Examples
SIMPLE

It is not nice to make fun of other people.

CONTEXTUAL

The students started to make fun of his new haircut, which made him feel very embarrassed.

COMPLEX

Although he often used humor to connect with others, he frequently crossed the line to make fun of his colleagues' professional mistakes.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    cannot make it

    Cannot reach satisfactory or expected standards or do something competently; describes someone in a hopeless situation.

  2. 02

    doctors make the worst patients

    It is difficult to advise people on subjects that they are experts on.

  3. 03

    enough to make a cat laugh

    Very outlandish or outrageous.

  4. 04

    enough to make the angels weep

    Something so distressing that it causes one to lose hope and faith.

  5. 05

    fine feathers make fine birds

    Something that appears beautiful or good is by definition beautiful or good.

  6. 06

    fun and games

    Recreation; nothing serious; easy, enjoyable activities.

  7. 07

    it takes all kinds to make a world

    Diversity is essential: the world would be incomplete if everyone were alike; an expression of surprise at a person or people's eccentricity.

  8. 08

    it takes two to make a quarrel

    It takes two or more people to cause a quarrel; one cannot blame an argument entirely on the other side.

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