joke

noun \ ˈjōk \

Updated on: 10 May 2018

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

See joke defined for English-language learners

See joke defined for kids

Examples of joke in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of joke from the Web

Black Diamond Hot Forge Heated Chalk Bag ($60) This year, Black Diamond decided to take its April Fool's joke one step further and actually make an actual production run of the Hot Forge heated chalk bag.

— the editors, Outside Online, "What 'Outside' Readers Bought Last Month," 3 May 2018
That same month Clark began having weekly lunches with old teammates and friends near his house in Capitola, Calif., reliving memories and telling jokes.

— chris ballard, SI.com, "In Montana, a 49ers Reunion for Dwight Clark," 2 May 2018
As Pedro started to tell a joke, Phan swooped in, delivering a one-liner that cracked everybody up. And seriously impressed them.

— candace braun davison, House Beautiful, "Property Brother Drew Scott On The Moment He Knew Linda Phan Was The One," 2 May 2018
When telling jokes on stage, Carrie Dearborn spoke deliberately, her ad-libs sidestepping words her mouth had difficulty forming.

— bryan marquard, BostonGlobe.com, "Carrie Dearborn, 63, activist for the disabled and a sit-down comic," 1 May 2018
During the performance, students - playing the roles of The Royal Family, knights, jesters, ladies in waiting, and other characters - entertain via jokes, dances, singing, and other activities.

— melanie savage, Courant Community, "Hebron Elementary Holds 37th Annual Medieval Faire," 26 Apr. 2018
Take, for example, a royal throne that doubles as a whoopee cushion and emits fart noises and a jester door that tells bad knock-knock jokes.

— lori weisberg, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Sneak peak at Legoland's latest hotel: a castle," 23 Apr. 2018
At The Gateway Show, comedians tell their best jokes before leaving the stage to get high, then return to attempt even more comedy under the influence of April 20th’s herb of choice.

— OregonLive.com, "7 things to do in Portland for the coming week," 18 Apr. 2018
Bhagwan has told jokes about Poles, Italians, Germans, Blacks, Gays, Hippies, Irishmen—all kinds of people.

— win mccormack, The New Republic, "The Anti-Semitism Letters," 11 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'joke.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of joke

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1670

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

joke Synonyms

Synonyms

crack, drollery, funny, gag, jape, jest, laugh, one-liner, pleasantry, quip, rib, sally, waggery, wisecrack, witticism;

Related Words

funning, joking, wisecracking;

panic [slang], riot, scream;

antic, buffoonery, caper, monkeyshine(s), practical joke, prank, trick;

burlesque, caricature, lampoon, mock, mockery, parody, put-on, riff;

comedy, humor, wit, wordplay;

joke

verb

Definition of joke

joked; joking

intransitive verb

: to make jokes : jest

transitive verb

: to make the object of a joke : kid

—

jokingly

play \ˈjō-kiŋ-lē\ adverb

See joke defined for English-language learners

Examples of joke in a Sentence

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