one-liner

American  

[wuhn-lahy-ner] / ˈwʌnˈlaɪ nər /

noun

1. a brief joke or amusing remark.

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one-liner British  

noun

1. informal a short joke or witty remark or riposte

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Etymology

Origin of one-liner

1965–70, one line + -er ¹

Explanation

A one-liner is a joke or clever remark expressed in a single sentence, with a brief setup and a clever twist at the end. As Oscar Wilde said, "I can resist everything, except temptation." The beauty of a one-liner lies in its efficiency. There's no long buildup; it gets straight to the (funny) point. One-liners often rely on wordplay or surprise endings that catch listeners off guard. A popular one-liner is "I'm on a seafood diet — I see food, and I eat it!" Some standup comedians rely heavily on one-liners in their performances, keeping the audience rolling in the aisles! These "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" jokes show that sometimes brevity truly is the soul of wit.

Example Sentences

Political observers caution against reading too much into a salty one-liner.

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2025

So it’s whether I can take the one-liner absurdity and blend it with real truths about my own life.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2025

But, as a stand-up comic, I’ve evolved from a one-liner to a comedian that tells stories, and it’s some really dark stuff but it’s all funny.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2025

She added: "He was always the first to help people in need. Brimming with empathy and living for the present, he would always have a funny one-liner up his sleeve making everyone around him laugh."

From BBC • May 28, 2024

Freckles laughs about my Holocaust one-liner, and it doesn’t even sound like a condescending adult laugh.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Related Words

• gag
• joke
• wisecrack
• witticism
• zinger