completely unfunny

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "completely unfunny" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe something that fails to elicit laughter or amusement in a strong manner. Example: "The comedian's latest routine was completely unfunny, leaving the audience in silence."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

Still, Baron Cohen's rarely completely unfunny.

The Guardian - Film

The Jester (Daniel Ulbricht), though a prodigy of speed, is completely unfunny.

The New York Times - Arts

Completely unfunny is the continuing saga of France's mutinous World Cup team, with its players scoffing at the suspensions handed down Tuesday.

The New York Times

"So many strips are so completely unfunny that when you read a comic strip and it doesn't make you laugh, and you don't even see where the joke is supposed to be, it's not surprising," McGruder told me.

The New Yorker

You turned off Bo Dietl's completely unfunny mangled English, half the celebrity journalists back to hawk their books and the annoying cackling of his posse of middle-aged homeboys, celebrating one another's bon mots.

The New York Times

It's almost completely unfunny, but it's certainly full of comedic falls and injuries (including a stabbing of Sandra Bullock that's almost identical to the one endured by Jay Baruchel in "This Is the End") that involve the characters played by comedians but are not the work of those comedians.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

After years of laughing at unfunny jokes, nodding at completely uninteresting things and obsessing over the utterly mundane, Rachel, a journalist who covers celebrities and describes herself as a "seeker of minor adventure," has finally had enough.

The New York Times

"Frankly, it's disturbing to us that press outlets could make the incredibly irresponsible leap from 'celebrity sex tape', which is the cultural trope this project explicitly references, to 'revenge porn', which is unfunny, disgusting, morally repugnant and completely unrelated".

The Guardian

Evans and Bechtolt pointed to the media as part of the problem, saying "it's disturbing to us that press outlets could make the incredibly irresponsible leap from 'celebrity sex tape,' which is the cultural trope this project explicitly references, to 'revenge porn,' which is unfunny, disgusting, morally repugnant, and completely unrelated".

Vice

Unfunny jokes.

The New York Times

The skits were unfunny.

The Guardian - Film

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "completely unfunny" to strongly emphasize the lack of humor, especially when describing something intended to be humorous. It adds a definitive tone.

Common error

Avoid pairing "completely unfunny" with other intensifiers (e.g., "absolutely completely unfunny"). This can sound redundant and weaken your writing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "completely unfunny" functions as an adverbial modifier intensifying the adjective "unfunny". It provides a stronger assertion that something lacks humor. Ludwig indicates that this expression is grammatically sound and generally understood.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Science

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "completely unfunny" is a grammatically correct and usable English phrase employed to emphatically describe something that lacks humor. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is straightforward in its meaning and generally accepted. It functions as an adverbial modifier, intensifying the adjective "unfunny", and is most frequently encountered in news and media contexts. While there are a variety of alternative phrases, "completely unfunny" distinctly conveys a strong negative assessment. When employing this expression, be mindful of avoiding redundancy by not pairing it with other intensifiers. Its neutral register makes it suitable for diverse writing scenarios, from news articles to reviews.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

not at all humorous

A straightforward and simple way to state the lack of humor.

utterly devoid of humor

Emphasizes the total absence of humor.

entirely lacking in amusement

Focuses on the absence of amusement value.

devoid of any comedic element

Highlights the absence of any comedic components.

a complete comedic failure

Highlights that it was not a funny experience.

humorless from start to finish

Emphasizes the consistent lack of humor throughout.

bereft of comedic value

Uses a more formal tone to express the lack of comedic merit.

laugh-free experience

Focuses on how laughter wasn't experienced.

woefully unentertaining

Emphasizes the lack of entertainment value, not just humor.

destitute of humor

Formal and emphatic way to convey complete absence of humor.

FAQs

How can I use "completely unfunny" in a sentence?

You can use "completely unfunny" to describe something that is intended to be funny but fails entirely. For example: "The comedian's routine was "completely unfunny", leaving the audience silent."

What's a less emphatic alternative to "completely unfunny"?

If you want a milder way to say something isn't funny, consider alternatives like "not very funny", "slightly unfunny", or "a bit unfunny".

Which is correct, "completely unfunny" or "uncompletely funny"?

"Completely unfunny" is the correct and natural phrasing. "Uncompletely funny" is not a standard or grammatically sound expression.

What's the difference between "unfunny" and "completely unfunny"?

"Unfunny" simply means not funny. "Completely unfunny" emphasizes that something has absolutely no humor and fails entirely at being amusing.