josh

¹ American  

[josh] / dʒɒʃ /

verb (used with or without object)

1. to chaff; banter in a teasing way.

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noun

1. good-natured banter.

Josh ² American  

[josh] / dʒɒʃ /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Joshua.

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Josh. ³ American  

abbreviation

Bible.

1. Joshua.

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josh ¹ British  

/ dʒɒʃ /

verb

1. to tease (someone) in a bantering way

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noun

1. a teasing or bantering joke

Josh. ² British  

abbreviation

1. Joshua

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Other Word Forms

• josher noun

Etymology

Origin of josh

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45; of obscure origin

Example Sentences

"I'd have prawn puri for starters, lamb rogan josh, Bombay potatoes with some saag aloo, peshwari naan, all the poppadoms, pilau rice, saag paneer," Benn says.

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

The actors josh with each other and the audience in the madcap communal spirit of commedia dell’arte troupers.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 16, 2021

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