yuk 1 of 2

noun

ˈyək How to pronounce yuk (audio)
variants or yuck also yak or yock
Definition of yuknext
slang
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter the yuks on this new sitcom are so pathetic that the souped-up laugh track merely adds insult to injury

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

yuk

2 of 2

verb

variants or yuck
slang
as in to joke
to make jokes pay no mind to those clowns—they are just yukking it up and don't mean any harm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 yuk
Noun
If these clone yaks are meant to boost the farming industry, are they being selectively bred to produce more milk, or better cuts of meat, or specific types of wool? — Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 25 July 2026 The elephants are escorted by handlers who fan them with peacock feathers and yak-hair whisks. — ABC News, 3 July 2026 People get mired in all kinds of muck and yuck by the slop on social media. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026 Here, nomadic families still move across the plains with their herds of yak and sheep, and concrete-and-steel settlements are few and far in between. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
Who has more fun than golfers who yuk it up throughout a four-hour round? — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2025 If that week’s offering was pure schlock, my dad and I would yuk it up. — Shannon Doyne, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025 Seinfeld heads back to Bay Area Jerry Seinfeld is ready to yuk it up with Bay Area fans. — Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 3 Oct. 2024 Kevin Hart yuks it up with Laugh Out Loud Radio, a collection of Hart’s specials, shows, and dialogues. — PCMAG, 14 Aug. 2024 Each person gets a chance to stand on one side of a plastic barrier while Yankovic stands on the other and tour photographer Kamal Asar takes a picture of them pretending to organically yuk it up together. — Alex Pappademas, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2022
Recent Examples of Synonyms for yuk
  1. joke
  2. laugh
  3. joking
  4. gag
  5. giggle
Noun
  • But Roth’s it’s-all-a-big-joke attitude here is a cop-out that’s beneath him, a way to avoid making a horror movie that truly engages us.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Write the honest sentence, take the quiet walk, and tell the truth without decorating it for comfort or turning it into a joke today.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of joke
Noun
  • The props team either hated me or loved me, honestly [laughs].
    — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
  • Haven, in particular, drew many laughs from the audience by playing Lee’s dull boyfriend Peter as a cartoonish surfer boy stereotype.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 29 July 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • Back in December 1968, Dolan wrote a joking column about the earlier Lake Worth monster, from way back in 1947.
    — Star-Telegram staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026
  • Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026
Definition of joking
Noun
  • This one laid the groundwork for an entire genre with its gross-out gags, copious substance abuse, and rousing victory at the end.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 31 July 2026
  • After all, these rich, beautiful people couldn’t possibly see past Dee’s uncontrollable urge to panic-gag and Charlie’s uncontrollable desire to shove grotesque amounts of cheese in his mouth, right?
    — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
Definition of gag
Noun
  • Keira Knightley is all giggles at day 12 of the 2026 Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London on July 10.
    — People Staff, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
  • Admittedly, Carmy is not exactly a bucket of giggles in this episode, or, really, in any episode.
    — Jen Chaney, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of giggle

Browse Nearby Words

yucky
yuk
yukked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Yuk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/yuk. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All