Synonyms of joke

joke 1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈjōk 

1

as in laugh

something said or done to cause laughter

he was known for his hilarious jokes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• laugh
• joking
• gag
• giggle
• funny
• wisecrack
• witticism
• jape
• quip
• one-liner
• pleasantry
• prank
• jest
• rib
• scream
• drollery
• parody
• josh
• sally
• waggery
• yuk
• crack
• comedy
• nifty
• trick
• humor
• humorousness
• boff
• riot
• funning
• kidding
• buffoonery
• mockery
• practical joke
• mock
• banter
• wisecracking
• leg-pull
• caper
• panic
• knee-slapper
• riff
• boffola
• caricature
• antic
• burlesque
• lampoon
• funniness
• put-on
• raillery
• hilariousness
• repartee
• persiflage
• wordplay
• facetiousness
• drollness
• wit
• thigh-slapper
• monkeyshine(s)

2

as in parody

a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something

her rendition of the national anthem is a joke

Synonyms & Similar Words

• parody
• caricature
• sham
• cartoon
• farce
• mockery
• hoax
• comedy
• travesty
• simulation
• burlesque
• pretense
• counterfeit
• forgery
• fake
• takeoff
• lampoon
• phony
• humbug
• knockoff
• feigning

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tribute
• homage

3

as in fool

a person or thing that is made fun of

having lost his looks and his voice years ago, these days he's just a show business joke and fodder for late-night comedy

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fool
• target
• mock
• mockery
• victim
• butt
• jest
• derision
• sport
• laughingstock
• mark
• sucker
• monkey
• pigeon
• gull
• chump
• dupe
• sap
• fall guy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• favorite
• pet
• darling

joke

2 of 5

verb (1)

1

as in to fun

to make jokes

he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fun
• kid
• tease
• jest
• quip
• fool
• amuse
• banter
• mock
• jolly
• gag
• parody
• wisecrack
• jape
• ridicule
• entertain
• crack wise
• jive
• rag
• yuk
• rally
• josh
• jeer
• chaff
• caricature
• gibe
• rib
• satirize
• razz
• lampoon
• haze
• divert

2

as in to tease

to make fun of in a good-natured way

oh, don't get offended, I was just joking you

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tease
• kid
• roast
• razz
• rib
• jive
• rally
• fun
• banter
• ride
• josh
• take the mickey out of
• chaff
• goof on
• jest
• fool
• quip
• wisecrack
• gag
• string along
• jolly
• jape
• yuk

joking

3 of 5

adjective

as in kidding

marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing

grinned and gave him a joking nudge with my elbow

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kidding
• sarcastic
• jesting
• bantering
• joshing
• razzing
• mocking
• quizzical
• fooling
• ribbing
• rallying
• funning
• chaffing
• ridiculing
• derisive
• taunting
• baiting
• heckling
• quipping
• jeering
• needling
• bandying
• contemptuous
• derisory
• scornful
• deriding
• hassling
• disdainful

joking

4 of 5

noun (2)

as in jesting

Related Words

• jesting
• funning
• nonsense
• clowning
• tomfoolery
• horseplay
• buffoonery
• childishness
• skylarking
• roughhousing
• foolishness
• clownishness
• silliness
• high jinks
• monkeying
• monkey business
• clownery
• slapstick
• roughhouse
• foolery
• horsing around
• shenanigan(s)
• waggery
• monkeyshine(s)
• boisterousness
• rowdiness
• rowdyism
• trickery
• rambunctiousness
• roguishness
• frivolity
• playfulness
• rumbustiousness
• prankishness
• rascality
• frolicking
• merrymaking
• revelry
• cavorting
• mischievousness
• sporting
• romping
• mischief
• impishness
• devilry
• roistering
• roguery
• gamboling
• knavery
• sportiveness

joking

5 of 5

verb (2)

present participle of joke

1

as in funning

to make jokes

he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kidding
• funning
• teasing
• jesting
• amusing
• bantering
• mocking
• quipping
• fooling
• joshing
• jollying
• wisecracking
• yukking
• jiving
• entertaining
• ridiculing
• chaffing
• japing
• gagging
• jeering
• ribbing
• razzing
• cracking wise
• parodying
• ragging
• rallying
• hazing
• satirizing
• caricaturing
• lampooning
• gibing
• diverting

2

as in teasing

to make fun of in a good-natured way

oh, don't get offended, I was just joking you

Synonyms & Similar Words

• kidding
• teasing
• razzing
• joshing
• ribbing
• roasting
• jiving
• chaffing
• bantering
• riding
• jesting
• rallying
• goofing on
• funning
• taking the mickey out of
• fooling
• quipping
• wisecracking
• stringing along
• jollying
• yukking
• japing
• gagging

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of joke

Noun

Some of the best beach-country songs have treated this imagery as a running joke. — Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 19 July 2026

There’s some comedy mixed in, but the show never reduces the monsters Bobby and Romy are dealing with to jokes. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 17 July 2026

Verb

Onstage the night before, Chase joked to the crowd that Durand had been the one who originally rejected these wonderful new songs. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 16 July 2026

Perhaps just not serious enough for Kerr to resist joking that the job is already done and the player is secured. — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 16 July 2026

Noun

Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026

The president has long bristled at the otherwise customary joking at his expense by celebrity comedians. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026

Verb

Stickler may or may not have hinted about the end of the relationship in April, joking about an ex-boyfriend. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026

Thursday evening, joking about his suspension last year for his comments about reactions to conservator commentator Charlie Kirk’s death. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 20 June 2026

Phrases Containing joke

• practical joke