What does "humorist" mean?

Someone who believes that health and temperament are determined by bodily humours; a humoralist.

What is a synonym for "humorist"?

Common synonyms include: clown, comedian, comic, jester, advertising writer, annalist.

noun

noun ·3 syllables ·Moderate ·College level

Noun

1
Someone who believes that health and temperament are determined by bodily humours; a humoralist. archaic, historical
2
someone who acts, speaks or writes in an amusing way wordnet
3
Someone subject to whims or fancies; an eccentric. obsolete
"She and the duke used to rally me upon my fondness for lord W—m, who was a sort of an humourist, and apt to be in a pet, in which case he would leave the company, and go to bed by seven o'clock in the evening."
4
A humorous or witty person, especially someone skilled in humorous writing or performance.
"Peter, after the manner of man at the breakfast table, had allowed half his kedgeree to get cold and was sniggering over a letter. Sophia looked at him sharply. The only letter she had received was from her mother. Sophia's mother was not a humourist."
5
One who studies or portrays the humours of people.

""What is your religion? Christianity? Judaism? Buddhism? Or are you an atheist" "No, I'm a humorist!""

From humor + -ist.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.