make fun of — to laugh at someone in an unkind way; to mock or ridicule someone
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to laugh at someone in an unkind way; to mock or ridicule someone
Pronunciation (IPA): /meɪk fʌn ʌv/
Example Sentences
- My classmates used to make fun of my lunch because my mom packed kimchi every day.
- It's not okay to make fun of people who are different from you.
- He made fun of my singing, but at least I had the courage to try karaoke!
make fun of
VERB[/meɪk fʌn ʌv/]
to laugh at someone in an unkind way; to mock or ridicule someone
The kids make fun of him for tripping over his own shoelaces.
They make fun of him under the burning sun
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The phrase 'make fun of' combines two elements with distinct etymologies. 'Make' derives from Old English 'macian', meaning to construct or fashion. 'Fun' emerged in the 17th century from 'fon', originally denoting deception or trickery, which gradually evolved toward its modern sense of amusement. The compound phrase 'make fun of' solidified by the 18th century to mean ridiculing or mocking someone.
Breakdown
make (Old English 'macian': to construct, fashion) + fun (17th-century 'fon': trickery, later amusement) + of (preposition indicating target or object). The phrase literally means 'to construct/make someone into an object of ridicule or amusement.'
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My classmates used to make fun of my lunch because my mom packed kimchi every day.”
“It's not okay to make fun of people who are different from you.”
“He made fun of my singing, but at least I had the courage to try karaoke!”
“Stop making fun of my cooking skills - not everyone can be a master chef overnight!”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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