An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; of obscure origin
When you josh, you joke around, teasing and bantering. You probably josh your brother about the weird things he says when he talks in his sleep. Most people laugh when someone joshes with them, although others take offense or don't realize that you're only joking. Your favorite uncle might josh around with you, making you giggle, and you can josh right back at him, teasing him for his silly mustache. Josh comes from American slang, from the boy's name Joshua, although it's not clear why this name was used to mean "be silly."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The other option is to join the crude, cynical supergroup modeled by the “Expendables” series, in which beloved stars josh and jostle for a cash grab.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024
"They just have a really happy relationship and they can josh each other along when needed and yet have real support for each other which is wonderful."
From BBC • Sep. 15, 2022
Holtz is a wiry man with a lined face, a Brooklyn accent—he grew up in Sheepshead Bay—and a digressive speaking style that his colleagues like to josh about.
From The New Yorker • Nov. 18, 2019
Focus on your life and your daughter and move on josh.
From Slate • Aug. 13, 2019
And the same thought went through all their minds, josh Billings was a great man, a great writer.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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.
