1
a
: something said or done to provoke laughter
especially
: a brief oral narrative with a climactic humorous twist
b(1)
: the humorous or ridiculous element in something
(2)
: an instance of jesting : kidding
can't take a joke
c
d
2
: something not to be taken seriously : a trifling matter
consider his skiing a joke—
Harold Callender
—often used in negative constructionsHarold Callenderit is no joke to be lost in the desert
Synonyms
Examples of joke in a Sentence
Noun
She meant it as a joke, but many people took her seriously.
They played a harmless joke on him.
They are always making jokes about his car.
I heard a funny joke yesterday.
the punch line of a joke
I didn't get the joke.
That exam was a joke.
Their product became a joke in the industry.
He's in danger of becoming a national joke.
Verb
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.
She joked that she could always get work as a truck driver if she lost her job.
Recent Examples on the Web
Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Mulaney did a classic couch set on The Tonight Show (perhaps the most classic venue for a couch set) with new jokes about his son, his son’s emerging rockabilly tendencies, and his son’s hatred for Steely Dan.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2024
Frank Costa, a digital creator, on Thursday joked that Mangione would be a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race, a reality show beloved by many within the gay community.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for joke 
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Noun
Like many classic Spongebob jokes, the scene became a meme, often referenced and recreated online.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
Mulaney did a classic couch set on The Tonight Show (perhaps the most classic venue for a couch set) with new jokes about his son, his son’s emerging rockabilly tendencies, and his son’s hatred for Steely Dan.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
As for Trump’s plans for mass deportations, Rock joked about how the Menendez brothers’ potential release may be ill-timed.
—William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 15 Dec. 2024
Frank Costa, a digital creator, on Thursday joked that Mangione would be a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race, a reality show beloved by many within the gay community.
—Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 15 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for joke
Dictionary Entries Near joke
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joke. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
joke
1 of 2 noun1
a
: something said or done to cause laughter
especially
: a brief story with a humorous twist
b
: the humorous element in something
c
: good-natured kidding
can't take a joke
2
: something not to be taken seriously
that exam was a joke
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