joke

noun \ ˈjōk \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Examples: joke in a Sentence

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

Not for their wisdom, or their financial support, or their jokes, but for something else: their closets.

— the editors of gq, GQ, "GQ Editors on the Piece of Clothing They Stole from Dad," 15 June 2018
Divac's affinity for European players (though he's only drafted one since 2015) has been a running joke, but his background should put the Kings in position to assess whether Doncic is worth the risk.

— jason jones, sacbee, "Is Luka Doncic worth the risk? Why the Kings might be best equipped to make that call," 15 June 2018
That movie’s mockumentary realism and its jokes about capes, secret identities and the dangers of toxic, obsessive fandom were the perfect introduction (and indoctrination) to superheroes for those who couldn’t care less.

— lindsey bahr, Detroit Free Press, "Review: ‘Incredibles 2’ arrives in a brave new world," 14 June 2018
As the besties hashed out their inside jokes over the internet, fans were screaming with joy.

— alison caporimo, Seventeen, "Fans Are Dying Over Camila Cabello's LOL Reaction to Ariana Grande's Engagement News," 12 June 2018
After what many thought was a joke, Boring Company CEO Elon Musk has delivered on his promises to deliver flamethrowers.

— lisa marie segarra, Fortune, "The First of Elon Musk's Boring Company Flamethrowers Are Coming (for Real)," 9 June 2018
La Guadalupana Bakery & Café Houston’s a taco city, and those at La Guadalupana on Dunlavy are no joke.

— bryan washington, Bon Appetit, "My Ideal Eating Day in Houston," 6 June 2018
Pearson and Weisberger know their characters and audiences so well that even their worst jokes elicit chuckles.

— bethanne patrick, Time, "Two Novelists Revisit Beloved Characters After a 15-Year Hiatus," 31 May 2018
Punk rock music typically houses controversial subjects, but NOFX admittedly crossed the line with their Vegas mass shooting jokes at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in Las Vegas on Sunday.

— heran mamo, Billboard, "NOFX Admits Vegas Mass Shooting Joke Was 'Insensitive': 'We Are All Embarrassed'," 31 May 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.