joke

[johk]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR joke ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

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.

a matter that need not be taken very seriously; trifling matter: The loss was no joke.

something that does not present the expected challenge; something very easy: The test was a joke for the whole class.

practical joke.

verb (used without object), joked, jok·ing.

to speak or act in a playful or merry way: He was always joking with us.

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, jok·ing.

to subject to jokes; make fun of; tease.

to obtain by joking: The comedian joked coins from the audience.

Nearby words

Origin of joke

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

SYNONYMS FOR joke

1. wisecrack, gag, jape, prank, quip, quirk, sally, raillery. 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.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR joke ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

joke·less, adjectivejok·ing·ly, adverbhalf-jok·ing, adjectivehalf-jok·ing·ly, adverb

un·jok·ing, adjectiveun·jok·ing·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for joke

And that was well before this Christmas, when he appeared to joke about Obama being a Muslim.
How James Woods Became Obama’s Biggest Twitter Troll|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Within a concentration camp, would someone make a joke about the number, the tattooed number?
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Anyone willing to threaten war over a joke is clearly not playing with a full deck.
The Sony Hack and America’s Craven Capitulation To Terror|David Keyes|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fortunately, Martin was a good sport about the game, even if there was a joke about the Red Wedding.
Amy Poehler and George R.R. Martin Play Game of ‘Game of Thrones’|Alex Chancey|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Have you heard the joke by Iraqi Kurds about ISIS fighters milking male goats?
Middle East Goes Monty Python on ISIS|Dean Obeidallah|October 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He burst into a paroxysm of self-applausive mirth over his joke, in which a couple of satellites near at hand joined.
Little Miss Grouch|Samuel Hopkins Adams
"He's bes' joke yet," Strong remarked through Rex's fingers.
A Good Samaritan|Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews
Cigarette laughed saucily and heartily, tickled at the joke.
Under Two Flags|Ouida [Louise de la Ramee]
Lincoln was especially fond of a joke at the expense of some high military or civil dignitary.
The Every-day Life of Abraham Lincoln|Francis Fisher Browne
Once, by way of a joke, young Sia put a small snake into a parcel, which he gave her and told her to open.
The Chinese Fairy Book|Various

British Dictionary definitions for joke

joke

noun

a humorous anecdote

something that is said or done for fun; prank

a ridiculous or humorous circumstance

a person or thing inspiring ridicule or amusement; butt

a matter to be joked about or ignored

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

no joke something very serious

verb

(intr) to tell jokes

(intr) to speak or act facetiously or in fun

to make fun of (someone); tease; kid

Derived Formsjokingly, adverb

Word Origin for joke

C17: from Latin jocus a jest

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for joke

joke

1660s, joque, "a jest, something done to excite laughter," from Latin iocus "joke, sport, pastime," from PIE root *yek- "to speak" (cf. Breton iez "language," Old High German jehan "to say," German Beichte "confession").

Originally a colloquial or slang word. Meaning "something not to be taken seriously" is 1791. Practical joke "trick played on someone for the sake of a laugh at his expense" is from 1804 (earlier handicraft joke, 1741). Black joke is old slang for "smutty song" (1730s), from use of that phrase in the refrain of a then-popular song as a euphemism for "the monosyllable."

joke

1660s, "to make a joke," from Latin iocari "to jest, joke," from iocus (see joke (n.)). Related: Joked; joking.

Idioms and Phrases with joke

joke

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

joke

noun

verb (used without object), joked, jok·ing.

verb (used with object), joked, jok·ing.

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joke

noun

verb

Word Origin for joke

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joke

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