joke
Americannoun
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jokes
plural
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something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act.
He tells very funny jokes. She played a joke on him.
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something that is amusing or ridiculous, especially because of being ludicrously inadequate or a sham; a thing, situation, or person laughed at rather than taken seriously; farce.
Their pretense of generosity is a joke. An officer with no ability to command is a joke.
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a matter that need not be taken very seriously; trifling matter.
The loss was no joke.
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something that does not present the expected challenge; something very easy.
The test was a joke for the whole class.
verb (used without object)
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jokes,
present (3rd person singular)
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joked,
past participle, past
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joking
present participle
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to speak or act in a playful or merry way.
He was always joking with us.
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to say something in fun or teasing rather than in earnest; be facetious.
He didn't really mean it, he was only joking.
verb (used with object)
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jokes,
present (3rd person singular)
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joked,
past participle, past
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joking
present participle
-
to subject to jokes; make fun of; tease.
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to obtain by joking.
The comedian joked coins from the audience.
noun
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a humorous anecdote
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something that is said or done for fun; prank
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a ridiculous or humorous circumstance
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a person or thing inspiring ridicule or amusement; butt
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a matter to be joked about or ignored
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seriously: said to recall a discussion to seriousness after there has been joking
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something very serious
verb
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(intr) to tell jokes
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(intr) to speak or act facetiously or in fun
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to make fun of (someone); tease; kid
Synonym Usage
Joke, jest refer to something said (or done) in sport, or to cause amusement. A joke is something said or done for the sake of exciting laughter; it may be raillery, a witty remark, or a prank or trick: to tell a joke. Jest, today a more formal word, nearly always refers to joking language and is more suggestive of scoffing or ridicule than is joke : to speak in jest.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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half-jokingadjective
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jokelessadjective
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unjokingadjective
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half-jokinglyadverb
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jokinglyadverb
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unjokinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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jokesimple
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jokessimple
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have jokedperfect
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has jokedperfect
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am jokingprogressive
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are jokingprogressive
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is jokingprogressive
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have been jokingperfect progressive
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has been jokingperfect progressive
Past
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jokedsimple
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had jokedperfect
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was jokingprogressive
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were jokingprogressive
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had been jokingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of joke
First recorded in 1660–70, joke is from the Latin word jocus “jest”
Explanation
A joke is a funny story or line that's meant to make people laugh. When you're good at telling jokes, you're the life of the party (and you're probably not telling knock-knock jokes). Many jokes have a "punch line," the part that either makes your listeners guffaw or groan, depending on how funny it is. The rest of the joke leads up to this climax. Another kind of joke is the "practical" sort, a prank, gag, or trick you play on someone. In the 1660s the word was spelled joque and was considered slang. It comes from the Latin root iocus, "joke, sport, or pastime."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Somewhere in the space between obvious joke and well, would you really be surprised?, a meme had begun acquiring the texture of consumer advice.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
But he was quick to laugh and joke as he remembered playing Frank, including his nightly entrance at the Roxy, marching down a catwalk in heels and Dracula cape.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
“Dolly didn’t just get the joke, she wrote it,” said Pink—or, as Parton often put it, “it takes a lot of money to look this cheap.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
But it was nothing serious - just a running joke between them: "I was saying, 'Hell, you're spending a lot of time at the bank. I don't believe we've got that kind of money.'"
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
In another spirit session, a house slipper was handed to Sarah as a joke.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
And again, if you’re hardcore, you’ll get all the jokes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
The horse jokes will retreat into the great digital stable where memes go when their moment has passed.
From Salon ● Aug. 27, 2026
Parton’s self-effacing jokes made her immense talent less threatening in an entertainment industry that often reserved the title of “genius songwriter” for men.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Versions of it soon trended online, with users adding edits and jokes and mocking the lighting and camera angles in his video.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
That the moment their circle was sealed, it was back to pranks and cruel jokes.
From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega
"It's not supposed to be open 'til I'll be 100, and which, that's the day after tomorrow," Parton joked at the time.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
"I don't know what they'll do with it, but I have regretted that, because it was a really good song!" she joked.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
“We were afraid it was aliens,” joked Beatrice Bagwell, 74, who lives on a 240-acre Pecan Island compound that has been in the family for four generations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
“No one wants to play with me anymore!” he joked, seemingly referencing Toy Story.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
William may have joked in front of the children, but the new regime was no laughing matter.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Stacey Morris recalled her son joking after school, according to Louisville’s WDRB.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
“By evening, everyone would just be happily drinking and joking together.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
But, joking aside, he emphasizes that some of these diseases can be very serious, causing encephalitis, neurological impairment, and death.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
The three were smiling and joking, seemingly unaware of any impending attack, the images indicate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
Uncle Matthew was like Detective Webster in his joking and boundless sense of joy.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
