ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pun

n. · v.
US //ˈpən// UK //pˈʌn// pun
  1. 1 a play on words (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a joke that uses a word with two meanings, or two words that sound the same, to be funny.

    a humorous use of a word or phrase that has several meanings, or that sounds like another word with a different meaning.

    Example

    The baker's joke about needing more dough was a clever pun.

    Example

    While some find puns to be the lowest form of wit, others appreciate the linguistic dexterity required to construct a truly seamless play on words.
  2. 2 to make a wordplay joke (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    to make a joke using words that sound the same.

    to make a pun or to use wordplay for humorous effect. Intransitive use.

    Example

    He couldn't help but pun about the rainy weather during the garden party.

    Example

    The playwright was known to pun incessantly, often weaving complex linguistic traps into the dialogue of his most comedic characters.
Etymology 1

From Middle English ponnen, ponen, punen, from Old English punian, pūnian (“to pound, beat, bray, bruise, crush, grind”), from Proto-Germanic *punōną (“to break to pieces, pulverize”). See pound. As a kind of word play, from the notion of "beating" the words into place.

Etymology 2

From the McCune-Reischauer romanization of Korean 분 (bun), from Chinese 分 (“fen”).

Etymology 3

From Hindi [Term?].

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Last updated June 20, 2026