Word for serious and funny

Some people like to use humor as a defense mechanism. These people might struggle to be in serious situations without making a joke to make themselves feel less awkward. It could help to know what words are good to describe them, and this article will address that!

What Do You Call Someone Who Uses Humor In Serious Situations?

There are a few great choices for people who use humor in serious situations. Why not try out some of the following:

• Flippant
• Facetious
• Frivolous
• Fool
• Clown
• Jester
• Joker
• Tongue in cheek
• Unconsidered
• Incautious

The preferred version is “flippant.” It works when we want to talk about people who are in serious situations but often find ways to make light of them. Flippant people might make it difficult to take things seriously and can be difficult to be in a meeting with.

Flippant

“Flippant” means that somebody is never serious when they are supposed to be. That means that during meetings or other serious events, they will try and be the one to make jokes and make others laugh.

Flippant people can be both good and bad, and it entirely depends on the situation they are a part of.

In meetings, it’s probably best not to make too many jokes, so they can be bad. However, flippant remarks might be welcomed in serious situations where a joke or two might lighten the mood.

The definition of “flippant,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not serious about a serious subject, in an attempt to be funny or to appear clever.”

• His flippant comment caused the boss to look at him sternly. That would be enough to shut anyone up.
• I can’t stand how flippant you get during these meetings. Please get out of my office.
• I think you should try being more flippant. Then people will understand that they don’t need to work so hard!

Facetious

“Facetious” works identically to “flippant.” In fact, the two words are completely synonymous. You can use whichever one you prefer the look of. It simply means that someone is always trying to appear jokey in serious situations.

As a quick note, “facetious” is pronounced “fa-see-sh-ious” rather than “face-ti-ous.” It’s a common confusion for people who have read the word for the first time but have not heard it spoken aloud!

The definition of “facetious,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not serious about a serious subject, in an attempt to be funny or to appear clever.”

• His facetious comments were enough to turn anybody away from him.
• Let’s not take that facetious man seriously. We don’t want to hear another joke from his mouth.
• I can’t stand how serious you all are! Not one facetious comment was made this whole session!

Frivolous

“Frivolous” means that someone likes to behave in a silly way and make jokes when things get serious. They often do so by choice because they do not like things to get too serious while they are around.

The definition of “frivolous,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “behaving in a silly way and not taking anything seriously.”

• I’m far too frivolous to go to an upper-class event such as that!
• Stop being so frivolous. If you want people to take you seriously, you need to try harder.
• If I could be a little more frivolous at work, I would absolutely do so!

Fool

“Fool” means that someone makes jokes at the worst of times. It could be a joke that they say, or it could be something that they acted out or did that made everyone around them laugh.

Usually, people laugh at the fool because they “made a fool of themselves.” It’s not common for fools to hear people laughing because they actually said or did something funny.

The definition of “fool,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a person who behaves in a silly way without thinking.”

• The office fool is over there. I wouldn’t talk to him if I were you!
• That’s the fool that said those stupid things in the middle of the funeral! How could she?
• I think you’re a fool for thinking you could joke around like that!

Clown

“Clown” means that someone acts stupidly to make others laugh. This can apply to any situation, so it’s likely that a clown would try and make jokes even in the most serious of cases.

The word originated as a job. People would often be “clowns” to entertain those around them and attend events and parties to show off their talents.

Now, it can refer to anyone who is always trying to make light of more serious problems. It is both a good and bad thing depending on who you ask and what the serious situation is about.

The definition of “clown,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “to act stupidly, often to make other people laugh.”

• Stop being a clown for a second. We really need to get this project finished, or we’ll be in trouble.
• I don’t want to sound cruel, but I think you’re too much of a clown to get a job like that!
• He is a clown! That’s why he can never be taken seriously by those who work for him!

Jester

“Jester” is a somewhat archaic word today, but it still works. It once meant that someone had a job working for the crown, which usually meant they were paid to make the king or queen of their time laugh.

Now, a jester can be anybody. They are often not paid for their humor, though if they make consistent jokes at work, it might seem like they get paid to make jokes.

The definition of “jester,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “a man in the past whose job was to tell jokes and make people laugh.”

• The workplace jester is back again. Everyone, please try to ignore his comments.
• I would love it if the jester would shut up for a second and focus!
• We have a jester already, and we’re not looking for anybody else to come along and ruin our business!

Joker

“Joker” is another word that means someone takes it upon themselves to make jokes in serious situations. If someone is the “office joker,” it means they are the ones that try to make their colleagues laugh.

Jokers typically choose the worst times to make their jokes. Though they are sometimes successful in making others laugh, it is still not wise to joke around in the workplace too often.

The definition of “joker,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “someone who likes telling funny stories or doing stupid things in order to make people laugh.”

• He is a joker, and that’s why the boss doesn’t want him around the new signups.
• Stop being a joker for once! We need to focus on this issue before it gets any worse.
• I can be the joker in a crowded room. I hate serious situations, after all.

Tongue In Cheek

“Tongue in cheek” is an idiomatic phrase we can use that means someone refuses to take things seriously. They will often make jokes that appear serious, but everyone knows that they meant them to be funny more than anything else.

The definition of “tongue in cheek,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “you intend it to be understood as a joke, although you might appear to be serious.”

• His tongue-in-cheek comment about the boss wasn’t taken lightly, that’s for sure.
• She is very tongue in cheek, and I think that’s why they don’t want her to be at the funeral.
• I love being tongue in cheek! Without my attitude, everything would be far too daunting!

Unconsidered

“Unconsidered” means that someone is not “considering” the outcome of their silly jokes or messages. Usually, it means they are happy to crack jokes at the worst times (like serious situations).

Other people are usually made quite uncomfortable by those that are “unconsidered” with their actions.

The definition of “unconsidered,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “(of an action or remark) not carefully thought about.”

• You are too unconsidered at the best of times.
• Please don’t take this lightly, but I think your unconsidered attitude needs to come to an end.
• Stop with the unconsidered comments. Someone is going to tell you off one of these days!

Incautious

“Incautious” means that someone is not willing to show much care when in serious situations.

They often feel uncomfortable having to deal with them, which is why they tend to make silly jokes whenever they can. Their attitude is usually considered rude by those around them.

It’s also highly likely for “incautious” people to cause offense to others. Since they do not think before they speak, they tend to upset a lot of people without realizing it.

The definition of “incautious,” according to The Cambridge Dictionary, is “not showing or giving careful thought to the possible results.”

• He is far too incautious to be a part of this meeting, sir!
• You are incautious at the worst of times! I need you to focus more often.
• Please stop making light of this! Your incautiousness is something that I do not want to come across again.