joke

[johk]

noun

1. 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.

   Synonyms: raillery, sally, quirk, quip, prank, jape, gag, wisecrack

2. 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.

3. a matter that need not be taken very seriously; trifling matter.

   The loss was no joke.

4. something that does not present the expected challenge; something very easy.

   The test was a joke for the whole class.

5. practical joke.

verb (used without object)

joked, joking 

1. to speak or act in a playful or merry way.

   He was always joking with us.

2. 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)

joked, joking 

1. to subject to jokes; make fun of; tease.

2. to obtain by joking.

   The comedian joked coins from the audience.

joke

/ dʒəʊk /

noun

1. a humorous anecdote

2. something that is said or done for fun; prank

3. a ridiculous or humorous circumstance

4. a person or thing inspiring ridicule or amusement; butt

5. a matter to be joked about or ignored

6. seriously: said to recall a discussion to seriousness after there has been joking

7. something very serious

verb

1. (intr) to tell jokes

2. (intr) to speak or act facetiously or in fun

3. to make fun of (someone); tease; kid

Other Word Forms

• jokeless adjective
• jokingly adverb
• half-joking adjective
• half-jokingly adverb
• unjoking adjective
• unjokingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of joke¹

First recorded in 1660–70, joke is from the Latin word jocus “jest”

Word History and Origins

Origin of joke¹

C17: from Latin jocus a jest

Idioms and Phrases

see crack a joke; dirty joke; no joke; sick joke; standing joke; take a joke.

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Bones also confessed she was surprised she won the "roast" challenge, where the contestants have to write and perform jokes about their fellow contestants.

Read more on BBC

Jeamie wrestled first - joking his name would have been 'Big Papa T Jr' - but moved to boxing, the more lucrative path.

Read more on BBC

"I told my two brothers who came to the game to start the chant, so they must have done so," O'Neill joked.

Read more on BBC

“He was always cracking jokes especially when we were playing sports—he’s a real jokester,” recalled his high school teammate Nick Reeves.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

On the day of the White House visit, his teammates thought the white suit was a joke.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• antic 
• farce 
• gag 
• humor 
• laugh 
• one-liner 
• parody 
• prank 
• pun 
• stunt 
• trick 
• wisecrack