A pun is a joke that makes a play on words. A pun makes use of words that have more than one meaning, or words that sound similar but have different meanings, to humorous effect. The rhetorical term for punning is paronomasia, which literally means "to call a different name."
Puns rely on several types of words to work, words that are similar in spelling, sound or meaning, such as homophones, homonyms, and homographs. The examples of puns below will help you get an idea of how puns work and maybe inspire you to make your own puns.
Fun Puns
- Santa Claus' helpers are known as subordinate Clauses.
- She had a photographic memory but never developed it.
- The two pianists had a good marriage. They always were in a chord.
- I was struggling to figure out how lightning works, but then it struck me.
- The grammarian was very logical. He had a lot of comma sense.
- A chicken farmer's favorite car is a coupe.
- What do you call a person rabid with wordplay? An energizer punny.
- I've been to the dentist many times so I know the drill.
- What did one plant say to another? What's stomata?
- The other day I held the door open for a clown. I thought it was a nice jester.
- A chicken crossing the road is truly poultry in motion.
- The politician is not one for Indian food. But he's good at currying favors.
- How do construction workers party? They raise the roof.
- A boiled egg every morning is hard to beat.
- When a woman returns new clothing, that's post-traumatic dress syndrome.
- After hours of waiting for the bowling alley to open, we finally got the ball rolling.
- Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was brilliant!
- Always trust a glue salesman. They tend to stick to their word.
- Guerrilla warfare is more than just throwing a banana.
- The cartoon animator felt imprisoned by his job. He could not free himself from his cel.
- I thought Santa was going to be late, but he arrived in the Nick of time.
- Every calendar's days are numbered.
- A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired.
- No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery.
- A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
- If you don't pay your exorcist, you will get repossessed.
- A pessimist's blood type is always B-negative.
- I went to a seafood disco last week... and pulled a mussel.
- Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a-salted.
- Reading while sunbathing makes you well red.
For more lists of silly puns that are easy to understand try these examples of puns for kids.
Puns in Quotes
- "You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Unless, of course, you play bass." - Douglas Adams
- "Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx
- "Hanging is too good for a man who makes puns; he should be drawn and quoted." - Fred Allen
- "Denial ain't just a river in Egypt." - Mark Twain
- "Atheism is a non-prophet institution" - George Carlin
- "I saw a documentary on how ships are kept together. Riveting!" - Stewart Francis
You can also check out these examples of puns in literature for more fun puns from your favorite authors.
Puns in Headlines and Advertising
- New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
- Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted
- Juvenile Court Tried Shooting Defendant
- Farmer Bill Dies in House
- Eye Drops Off Shelf
- Hospitals are Sued by Seven Foot Doctors
- Residents Warned to Protect Fish and Hens to Avoid Otter Devastation
- Big Rig Carrying Fruit Crashes on 210 Freeway - Creates Jam
- The Greatest Flow on Earth - About Golden Corrals' caramel, chocolate and white chocolate fountains
More funny puns
Here at YourDictionary we love a good pun. If you do too, we hope you'll be egg-cited to see some of our pun slideshows:
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By YourDictionary
A pun is a joke that makes a play on words. A pun makes use of words that have more than one meaning, or words that sound similar but have different meanings, to humorous effect. The rhetorical term for punning is paronomasia, which literally means "to call a different name." Puns rely on several types of words to work, words that are similar in spelling, sound or meaning, such as homophones, homonyms, and homographs. The examples of puns below will help you get an idea of how puns work and maybe inspire you to make your own puns.
