joker

noun

ˈjō-kər How to pronounce joker (audio)
Definition of jokernext
1
as in comedian
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor he's the joker of the family, always making us laugh

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2
as in clown
a person whose behavior is offensive to others just ignore that joker and his rude comments

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in guy
an adult male human being sat at the bar next to some poor joker who had just lost his job

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4
as in hitch
a danger or difficulty that is hidden or not easily recognized read the contract carefully before signing to make sure there aren't any jokers

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of joker The win came July 30 with a hand of four aces and a joker, the casino said. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 Aug. 2026 Arnetra and her sister, Akiva, described Darius as a joker, always striving to bring joy to those around him. — Maveah Griffith, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2026 David May was the joker in the team; Paul Scholes was the silent assassin, sat there at the back, throwing comments. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 31 July 2026 Clooney might be known as the joker of the two. — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for joker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joker
  1. comedian
  2. clown
  3. guy
  4. hitch
  5. jerk
  6. male
  7. risk
  8. dog
Noun
  • Back to basics on The Daily Show Not to wax nostalgic, but back in my day, The Daily Show was mostly a cavalcade of weirdos consenting to be filmed while comedians played right in their face.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Before that, the comedian was campaigning to improve pilots’ mental health in the second season of The Rehearsal.
    — Peter White, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of comedian
Noun
  • What followed were Zoom-inclusive mediation meetings, the revelation of tens of thousands of dollars of debt, and something about clown school.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Twisty the clown crept around, Rubber Man made a second appearance, and black dahlias festooned every table.
    — Lauren Sanchez, Vogue, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of clown
Noun
  • This is a season so overwhelmingly dull that it’s taken three different gay guys to recap it.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The bad guy has guessed his secret identity and now holds our hero at gunpoint.
    — Harmon Siegel, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of guy
Noun
  • That type of physicality can come in handy on plays like quick hitches, screens, drags run over the middle of the field.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Iconic views of both sea and Grand Prix road below the cantilevered hills ensure that guests slide into the prestigious fantasy of the place with nary a hitch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of hitch
Noun
  • Bella’s childhood friend Angus (Jake Simmance), a corporate jerk, condescendingly probes Johnny about his career.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • There was significant excitement over the first-look footage revealing perhaps the world’s biggest movie star transforming himself to become a portly, gray-haired jerk in an offbeat feature focusing on climate change.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of jerk
Noun
  • The second, a runway show in February, expanded upon its connection to new money by fashioning buff male models as oligarchs and über thin female ones as their party girl acolytes.
    — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The mostly male, mostly young consumers of this content came up in the pandemic days of meme stock windfalls, speculative crypto investments, and hypebeast product drops.
    — Adam Erace, Fortune, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of male
Noun
  • In July, the Drug Enforcement Agency proposed temporarily designating 7-OH above a certain threshold of potency as Schedule I, the category for drugs that carry the most risk without any medical benefit.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Flood maps, which are commonly out of date, don't consider some types of flood risk, such as flooding from inland heavy rains.
    — MICHAEL PHILLIS, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of risk
Noun
  • Mid-round, golfers head to the Halfway House for burger dogs and fish tacos, and the Links Margarita has apparently achieved something close to cult status among regulars.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Sep. 2026
  • These days, her feed is more professionally focused, showcasing mostly red-carpet looks and key art and the occasional photo of her beloved rescue dog, Billie.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of dog

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Cite this Entry

“Joker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joker. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about joker

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