take a joke

idiom

: to laugh at a joke that is about oneself
I wasn't being serious. Can't you take a joke?

Examples of take a joke in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
If only more artists today could take a joke that way. David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2025 Mirjam Swanson: Honestly, people need to learn to take a joke. Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 26 June 2025 Comments Demi Lovato knows how to take a joke — especially if her fiancé is laughing along with her. Shania Russell, EW.com, 16 Mar. 2025 People used to take a joke, now nobody can joke and nothing is funny. Bob Guccione Jr., SPIN, 10 Dec. 2024 Despite the fallout, the comedian hammered down on his quip, arguing that some can’t take a joke, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz (Minn.). Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 31 Oct. 2024 No one wants to joke around with someone who can't take a joke. Jason Parham, WIRED, 26 July 2024 Gemini May 21-June 20 Your peers might take a joke of yours the wrong way today. Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 3 May 2023

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Take a joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20a%20joke. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

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!