Humour (also spelled humor) refers to the ways in which situations, language and behaviour produce amusement, laughter or a sense of pleasure. It is a universal human capacity but varies by individual temperament, age and cultural context. The modern English word ultimately derives from older European words for bodily moisture; in contemporary Greek the imported term appears as Χιούμορ. A professional whose job is to provoke laughter is often called a comedian.

Typical features and comic devices

Humour relies on a range of techniques that surprise, subvert expectation, or reveal contrasts between what is said and what is meant. Common devices include:

  • Puns and wordplay: using words that sound alike or have multiple meanings — for example, puns — to create double meanings.
  • Incongruity and absurdity: presenting elements that do not logically fit together, often triggering a re-interpretation of the situation; this can be linked to playful uses of logic.
  • Satire and parody: imitating or exaggerating a person, institution or genre to criticize or entertain — a form often appreciated by adults, such as satire.
  • Timing and surprise: unexpected answers, reversals or sudden shifts that make an audience laugh or smile.
  • Physical comedy: gestures, facial expressions and movement, from subtle mimicry to slapstick.

History and theoretical perspectives

Humour has been part of human life for millennia, showing up in myths, oral storytelling, theater and written satire. Scholars have proposed several broad explanations for why humour works. Relief theory views laughter as a release of psychological tension; superiority theory links some jokes to feelings of superiority over others; incongruity theory sees humour as the pleasurable resolution of mismatched ideas. These approaches are not mutually exclusive and are used to analyze different kinds of jokes and comic forms.

Functions and examples

Humour serves multiple social and psychological functions: it fosters group bonding, reduces stress, helps communicate criticism indirectly, and can defuse conflict or signal playfulness. Everyday examples include telling a joke to cheer someone up, using laughter to reinforce social ties, or choosing irony to make a point without confrontation. Comedic professions — from stand-up performers to satirical writers — specialize in shaping material to different audiences and contexts.

Variation by age and culture

What people find funny can change with age, experience and cultural background. Children often respond to simple physical humour or literal misunderstandings, whereas adults may prefer satire, social irony or layered wordplay that presupposes background knowledge. Cross-cultural differences affect topics considered acceptable or taboo; tastes in humour are shaped by language, norms and shared references across societies, so the same gag may land very differently in different communities (cultural variation).

In summary, humour is a versatile human faculty spanning playful language, social signal and art form. It ranges from the simple pleasure of a pun or visual pratfall to complex satire that comments on power, belief and social life — and it continues to be an active subject of study across psychology, linguistics and cultural studies.