Synonyms

no joke

Idioms

Also, no laughing matter. A serious issue, as in Missing the last flight out was no joke, or This outbreak of flu is no laughing matter. The first term dates from about 1800, and the variant from the second half of the 1500s.

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 Panthers are no joke and should be able to hang on.

From Los Angeles Times

These guys are no joke, and they’re coming.

From Los Angeles Times

This thing is no joke — and yes, the price reflects it.

From Salon

To raise children is no joke, for one never knows how they will turn out.

From Literature

But this was no joke, as Penelope well knew: It was the Widow Ashton’s fortune that the admiral craved.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023