student asking question

Can "funny" be used in this context without changing the meaning?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

No, it would change the meaning of his response! Here he's being sarcastic by saying "sounds fun" since it doesn't actually sound "fun." If he said "sounds funny," it would mean he found it humorous and wouldn't have the same effect that sarcasm has. Ex: Swimming with dolphins sounds fun. = seems like a fun, enjoyable activity = Swimming with dolphins sounds funny. = seems humorous to do Ex: The name of the movie sounds fun. = seems like an enjoyable movie = The name of the movie sounds funny. = seems like a humorous title.

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