joke

noun

\ ˈjōk

Definition of joke

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

joke

verb

joked; joking

Definition of joke (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to make jokes : jest

transitive verb

: to make the object of a joke : kid

Other Words from joke Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about joke

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Examples of joke in a Sentence

Noun

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.

Verb

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But Bethesda put out the below trailer for April Fools’ Day this week, then confirmed it’s not a joke. — Hayden Dingman, PCWorld, "This week in games: Borderlands 3 is an Epic exclusive, Obsidian shows off The Outer Worlds," 5 Apr. 2019 Most people ignored it or made sarcastic jokes online about having to drop their barbecue plans at the last minute. — Amy B Wang, Washington Post, "‘No place to recharge my Kindle’: Letters imagine the front lines of America’s ‘second civil war’," 3 July 2018 For example, one of the hosts of BET's after show was Insta-comedia Jess Hilarious, who has unapologetically made transphobic jokes on her Instagram page. — refinery29.com, "The BET Awards Used To Lead; Now They're Falling Behind," 25 June 2018 Dad jokes are shared, laughs are had—but the fun times pretty much end there. — Ineye Komonibo, Marie Claire, "I Saw 'Us' and I Will Never Know Peace Again," 25 Mar. 2019 Since their short-lived relationship was pre-Instagram, there's not a ton of info on the couple, though Cody did joke about their breakup on Hello Ross. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Everything You Need to Know About All of Kylie Jenner's Ex-Boyfriends," 20 Mar. 2019 In front of the cameras, Chrissy might be without jokes. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "Chrissy Metz Says This Is Us Fans Have Kate All Wrong," 19 Mar. 2019 And to my doctor for the lidocaine shots (no joke). — Abby Gardner, Glamour, "Ariana Grande Just Updated a Tattoo She Got With Pete Davidson," 18 Mar. 2019 There were prison rape jokes, and calls for Cunningham to rot in hell. — Alexander Huls, Popular Mechanics, "The Great Star Wars Heist," 7 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Tune in to see celebs dancing, joking around, and, no doubt, giving some iconic speeches. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "How To Watch the 2019 Golden Globes," 4 Jan. 2019 All joking aside, the clash is symbolic of what has become Facebook’s daily challenge: Identifying what is and isn’t news, while also serving billions of users with a range of different political beliefs. — Kara Swisher, Recode, "Media — both on the left and right — are pressing Facebook to define what journalism is," 17 July 2018 Rakitić jokes that being surrounded by so many different cuisines is perhaps what caused his stomach to act up. — SI.com, "Ivan Rakitić Reveals the Change in Diet Which Has Helped His Recovery & Performance," 8 July 2018 The Real Housewives of Constantinople, joked one friend—then rent an English-language audio guide at the entrance. — Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, "Three Days In Istanbul," 28 Dec. 2018 Other celebrities who've praised Garten in the past are Taylor Swift, Katie Couric, and even the Duchess of Sussex–who, as Garten joked, owes her royal engagement to the chef's engagement roast chicken. — Charlotte Chilton, Town & Country, "Ina Garten and Jennifer Garner Just Adorably Ate Animal-Style Burgers at In-N-Out Together," 7 Dec. 2018 The women were a jolly bunch, laughing and joking together. — Stanley Stewart, Condé Nast Traveler, "Going Off-Grid in Namibia," 21 Dec. 2018 Rosenstein denied the report, and one source told the Times that Rosenstein had merely been joking. — Alex Ward, Vox, "Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein’s future in question," 24 Sep. 2018 By Monday evening, the boys were able to joke, laugh, and have normal conversations, doctors said. — Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, "How the world came together to save 12 boys trapped in a Thai cave," 10 July 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.