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Synonyms

joking

Idioms  

Explanation

You can describe something that's funny, lighthearted, or flippant as joking. A joking manner can be a good quality in a kids' dentist and a not-so-good quality in a funeral director. A joking birthday card might tease the recipient about his advanced age, and a joking tone in an interviewer's voice keeps the mood light and playful. When you're in a joking mood, you're full of good humor. At the heart of the adjective joking is joke, originally joque, from the Latin iocus, "joke, sport, or pastime."

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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.

Earlier this year, the “Cruel Intentions” star opened up about her home life with Prinze, joking that one of the key amenities that has helped their marriage to survive is having separate bathrooms.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

This kind of commiseration in the form of light, joking banter exists wherever heterosexual women gather.

From Salon • Jun. 3, 2026

Harding walked onstage through the back doors, joking to Ladd, “Quite a nice space you got.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

“I am a deep ‘Star Wars’ fan,” he said in his second week on “The Late Show,” joking that his teleprompter was unreadable because it had angled yellow text like the famous “Star Wars” scroll.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

I’m glad to see Baba joking around again, and I know it’s because Thaya Jaan’s surgery went smoothly yesterday and he’s recovering in the hospital.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan

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