1 joke | Definition of joke

joke

noun
\ ˈjƍk How to pronounce joke (audio) \

Definition of joke

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : something said or done to provoke laughter especially : a brief oral narrative with a climactic humorous twist
b(1) : the humorous or ridiculous element in something
(2) : an instance of jesting : kidding can't take a joke
2 : something not to be taken seriously : a trifling matter consider his skiing a joke— Harold Callender often used in negative constructions it is no joke to be lost in the desert

joke

verb
joked; joking

Definition of joke (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

: to make the object of a joke : kid

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Other Words from joke

Verb

jokingly \ ˈjƍ-​kiƋ-​lē How to pronounce jokingly (audio) \ adverb

Synonyms for joke

Synonyms: Noun

boff (or boffo), boffola, crack, drollery, funny, gag, giggle [chiefly British], jape, jest, josh, laugh, nifty, one-liner, pleasantry, quip, rib, sally, waggery, wisecrack, witticism, yuk (or yuck) [slang]

Synonyms: Verb

banter, chaff, fool, fun, gag, jape, jest, jive, jolly, josh, kid, quip, wisecrack, yuk (or yuck) [slang]

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Examples of joke in a Sentence

Noun

She meant it as a joke, but many people took her seriously. They played a harmless joke on him. They are always making jokes about his car. I heard a funny joke yesterday. the punch line of a joke I didn't get the joke. That exam was a joke. Their product became a joke in the industry. He's in danger of becoming a national joke.

Verb

My friends would joke about the uniform I had to wear at work. She joked about the possibility of losing her job. I thought he was joking when he said he might quit, but it turned out that he really meant it. Don't take it seriously: I was only joking. She spent a few minutes joking with reporters after giving her speech. She joked that she could always get work as a truck driver if she lost her job.
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Gamble often joined in, whether to demonstrate a move, encourage the athletes or offer a joke. Washington Post, "For this former NFL player’s foundation, a new focus on empowering Baltimore’s young women," 10 Sep. 2019 The committee ordered Department of Homeland Security officials last week to hand over records related to the overtures, which Trump has denied and White House aides have said were jokes. Nicholas Fandos, BostonGlobe.com, "Democrats plan to broaden Trump impeachment inquiry to corruption accusations," 8 Sep. 2019 The committee ordered Department of Homeland Security officials last week to hand over records related to the overtures, which Mr. Trump has denied and White House aides have said were jokes. Nicholas Fandos, New York Times, "Democrats to Broaden Impeachment Inquiry Into Trump to Corruption Accusations," 8 Sep. 2019 All jokes aside, the fact that Winston Reid features on this list is hugely unfortunate. SI.com, "11 Players You Probably Didn't Realise Are Still Playing in the Premier League in 2019," 8 Sep. 2019 The pages contain a few inside jokes younger customers might not understand. Allison Wood, cleveland.com, "BW3’s Browns-themed coloring book hopes to help parents ‘Raise ‘Em Right’," 8 Sep. 2019 Most importantly, students should know that threats such as these are serious and should not be made in a moment of rage or in an offhand joke. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, "Letter: Kudos for article covering issues around gun threats," 8 Sep. 2019 That sounds like the setup for a joke when considering the bestselling author, New Yorker writer and podcast host, whose name has become synonymous with rational, at times contrarian, examinations of conventional wisdom. Chris Barton, Los Angeles Times, "Review: What do Bernie Madoff and Sylvia Plath have in common? Malcolm Gladwell explains," 7 Sep. 2019 The White Claw wave has becoming a running joke as people have created memes, T-shirts and even parody videos about the drink's rapid rise to fame. Kendall Trammell, CNN, "Can I get a hangover from White Claw? Asking for a friend," 7 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Brown joked with his coach that the entire county of Lyon had been through his house since the news broke. Beth Ann Nichols, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky golfer Cullan Brown is fighting bone cancer, and joy is his 'secret weapon'," 10 Sep. 2019 France forward Antoine Griezmann joked that his wife's absence was to blame for his penalty miss in Les Bleus' 4-1 thrashing of Albania in the Euro 2020 qualifiers on Saturday. SI.com, "Antoine Griezmann Blames Wife for Penalty Miss in France's 4-1 Win Over Albania (Sort of)," 9 Sep. 2019 Online, some protesters joked that Lam was always late, comparing her to a shoddy internet browser that takes forever to load a page. James Griffiths, CNN, "Hong Kong government's attempt to outflank protesters is doomed to fail," 4 Sep. 2019 Flynn’s not joking about the talent on this Titans team. Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, "Potts named starting quarterback as Deer Park opens new football season tonight," 30 Aug. 2019 George Washington University associate professor David Karpf joked on Twitter that Stephens was a bedbug after reports that there was a bedbug infestation in the New York Times newsroom. Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, "'Tough guy!': Trump mocks NYT columnist Bret Stephens for bedbug reaction," 28 Aug. 2019 And while Joe might have just been joking with his comments, Lil Nas X has other plans. Sara Delgado, Teen Vogue, "Joe Jonas Wanted to Be on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” Remix But Might Be on “Panini” Instead," 28 Aug. 2019 Some joked that the product has been a plague for a near-decade. Jake Shapiro, The Denver Post, "Colorado Rapids fans embrace plague with costumes, chants," 3 Aug. 2019 Captain Carlos Vela was joking around and flopping to the ground to make his new teammates laugh throughout the hour-long session. Julia Poe, Pro Soccer USA, "MLS all-stars gather for training, enjoy time together," 30 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'joke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of joke

Noun

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1a