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Synonyms

jokey

American  
[joh-kee] / ˈdʒoʊ ki /

adjective

jokier, jokiest

  1. lacking in seriousness; frivolous.

    The editorial had an offensively jokey tone for such an important subject.
jokey British  
/ ˈdʒəʊkɪ /

adjective

  1. intended as a joke; full of jokes

"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

Other Word Forms

  • jokily adverb
  • jokiness noun

Etymology

Origin of jokey

First recorded in 1815–25; joke + -ey 1

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.

The jokey yet outraged “The Bride!,” which is written and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, is a semi-spoof of James Whale’s 1935 sequel, “The Bride of Frankenstein,” often called the greatest of all 1930s monster movies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The ambiguity of that hit single was unsettled further by more jokey elements on that album — like the cover of Gloria Gaynor’s disco anthem, ‘I Will Survive.’

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026

The tone of the messages from this time is often jokey and indiscreet, occasionally veering into excruciatingly frank.

From BBC • Feb. 4, 2026

Someone makes a jokey reference to the cartoon contrivance of “Scooby-Doo,” and the comparison is brutally apt.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

“Radical, dude,” he said in jokey surfer speech before turning back.

From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez

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.