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
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
Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Kimmel’s feud with Damon, meanwhile, is an ongoing joke that began when Jimmy Kimmel Live was in its early years.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2025
EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
The Saturday Night Live alum, 49, joked about taking on the real-life coaching role during the Friday, March 14 episode of the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
Conan O'Brien Named Host Of The 2025 Oscars By
Megan Cartwright
Deputy Entertainment Editor
Newsweek Is A Trust Project Member
news article
0
Conan O'Brien revealed on his podcast that part of his Oscars promo joke was cut by the Academy.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
Kimmel’s feud with Damon, meanwhile, is an ongoing joke that began when Jimmy Kimmel Live was in its early years.
—Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2025
Verb
Foley continued, again joking about the 1985 film Cocoon, about a group of seniors who become energized with youth after an encounter with aliens.
—EW.com, 14 Mar. 2025
The Saturday Night Live alum, 49, joked about taking on the real-life coaching role during the Friday, March 14 episode of the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce.
—Rachel McRady, People.com, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joke. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025.
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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