joke

¹joke

noun \ˈjōk\

Definition of JOKE

1

a : something said or done to provoke laughter; especially : a brief oral narrative with a climactic humorous twist

b (1) : the humorous or ridiculous element in something (2) : an instance of jesting : kidding <can't take a joke>

c : practical joke

d : laughingstock

2

: something not to be taken seriously : a trifling matter <consider his skiing a joke — Harold Callender> —often used in negative constructions <it is no joke to be lost in the desert>

Examples of JOKE

1. She meant it as a joke, but many people took her seriously.
2. They played a harmless joke on him.
3. They are always making jokes about his car.
4. I heard a funny joke yesterday.
5. the punch line of a joke
6. I didn't get the joke.
7. That exam was a joke.
8. Their product became a joke in the industry.
9. He's in danger of becoming a national joke.

Origin of JOKE

Latin jocus; perhaps akin to Old High German gehan to say, Sanskrit yācati he asks

First Known Use: 1670

Related to JOKE

Synonyms

boff (or boffo), boffola, crack, drollery, funny, gag, giggle [chiefly British], jape, jest, josh, laugh, nifty, one-liner, pleasantry, quip, rib, sally, waggery, wisecrack, witticism, yuk (or yuck also yak or yock) [slang]

Related Words

funning, joking, wisecracking; knee-slapper, panic [slang], riot, scream, thigh-slapper; antic, buffoonery, caper, leg-pull, monkeyshine(s), practical joke, prank, trick; burlesque, caricature, lampoon, mock, mockery, parody, put-on, riff; banter, kidding, persiflage, raillery, repartee; drollness, facetiousness, funniness, hilariousness, humorousness; comedy, humor, wit, wordplay

Near Antonyms

homage, tribute

Rhymes with JOKE

bloke, broke, choke, cloak, coke, croak, folk, hoke, moke, oak, poke, Polk, roque, smoke, soak, soke, spoke, stoke, stroke, toke, toque, yogh, yoke, yolk

²joke

verb

jokedjok·ing

Definition of JOKE

intransitive verb

: to make jokes : jest

transitive verb

: to make the object of a joke : kid

— jok·ing·ly \ˈjō-kiŋ-lē\ adverb

Examples of JOKE

1. My friends would joke about the uniform I had to wear at work.
2. She joked about the possibility of losing her job.
3. I thought he was joking when he said he might quit, but it turned out that he really meant it.
4. Don't take it seriously: I was only joking.
5. She spent a few minutes joking with reporters after giving her speech.
6. She joked that she could always get work as a truck driver if she lost her job.

First Known Use of JOKE

1670

Related to JOKE

Synonyms

banter, chaff, fool, fun, gag, jape, jest, jive, jolly, josh, kid, quip, wisecrack, yuk (or yuck) [slang], crack wise

Related Words

gibe (or jibe), haze, jeer, mock, rag, rally, razz, rib, ridicule, tease; caricature, lampoon, parody, satirize; amuse, divert, entertain