joking
IdiomsExplanation
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."
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.
Afterwards, Sabalenka played down the significance of losing her ranking, joking she did not care about it.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
During her internal affairs interviews, Burgos denied providing information to other agencies, saying it was clear from her laughter on the recording that she was joking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
His reaction to his wife sitting next to him on their couch: “You’re joking me.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Stacey Morris recalled her son joking after school, according to Louisville’s WDRB.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
“I was just joking about the barter. You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to, but if you do...I’ll listen.”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
