plural jokes
1
a
: something said or done to cause laughter
She meant it as a joke, but many people took her seriously.
Is this your idea of a joke? [=do you think that what you are saying/doing is funny?]
They played a harmless joke on him.
They are always making jokes about his car.
He thought he could embarrass us, but now the joke is on him. [=he is the one who looks foolish]
He just can't take a joke. [=he does not like it when other people make jokes about him]
b
: a brief story with a surprising and funny ending
I heard a funny joke yesterday.
the punch line of a joke
She's always cracking/telling jokes.
I didn't get/understand the joke.
an inside joke [=a joke that is understood only by people with special knowledge about something]
2
disapproving
: someone or something that is not worth taking seriously
That exam was a joke.
Their product became a joke in the industry.
He's in danger of becoming a national joke.
It's no joke to be lost in the woods. = Being lost in the woods is no joke. [=being lost in the woods is a serious situation]
jokes; joked; joking
: to say things that are meant to cause laughter : to make jokes about someone or something
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.
"The report is to be done by tomorrow." "You're joking." = "You must be joking." [=you must be kidding; what you say is very surprising or hard to believe]
It's no joking matter. [=it is no joke; it is a serious matter]
She joked that she could always get work as a truck driver if she lost her job.
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/joke. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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