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take a joke

Idioms

Accept teasing at one's own expense, as in Sam really couldn't take a joke. This idiom, often put negatively, was first recorded in 1780. Also see take it.

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.

See Examples For:

take a joke

“We as conservatives should be able to take a joke; we shouldn’t take ourselves so seriously.”

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2025

“He can take a joke, and he can give a joke,” Lewis said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2023

All the target has to do is understand that; she just needs to lighten up, take a joke, accept the compliment, grasp the lesson.

From Slate ● Apr. 21, 2023

The toy’s maker says Jack Daniel’s can’t take a joke.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2022

He could take a joke, and put on such an ironic self-assured face no one felt bad laughing.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez

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