josh

1 of 3

verb

ˈjäsh 

joshed; joshing; joshes

intransitive verb

: to engage in banter : joke

transitive verb

: to tease good-naturedly : kid

josher noun

josh

2 of 3

noun

: a good-humored joke : jest

Josh

3 of 3

abbreviation

Joshua

Synonyms of josh

Verb

• kid
• tease
• joke

Noun

• joke
• laugh
• joking
• sally

Examples of josh in a Sentence

Verb

Don't take him seriously. He's just joshing.

don't get all hot and bothered! I'm just joshing you

Noun

a close-knit family constantly exchanging lighthearted joshes at the dinner table

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Archie, as he is known to locals, is as cheeky as ever, joshing with both kids and adults in Spanish and English. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 Nov. 2026

Now Peter was standing, and the officers were joshing with him. — Anand Giridharadas, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026

Noun

In a weird form of Shakespearean locker-room talk, the two josh each other about women; H is involved with Mina, while the Rude Boy renews his flirtation with Ophelia. — Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

1845, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1878, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for josh

• bosh
• frosh
• gosh
• posh
• quash
• slosh
• squash
• swash
• tosh
• wash
• backwash
• downwash

Kids Definition

josh

verb

ˈjäsh

: to joke with : tease