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
Annie Aguiar, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2025
But from a pure comedy standpoint, the joke was just basic—and unfunny.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2025
Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
And, of course, Oscar host Conan O’Brien found a way to joke about the Kendrick Lamar–Drake beef.
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for joke
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Noun
After a joke about Adam Sandler’s fashion sense, O’Brien suddenly changed tone to address the devastation of the wildfires in Los Angeles, and how an awards show can seem self-indulgent if that context was not addressed.
—Annie Aguiar, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2025
But from a pure comedy standpoint, the joke was just basic—and unfunny.
—Esther Zuckerman, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2025
Verb
Some joked that Sean Baker’s speech condemning the impact of streaming was the turning point for Hulu to cut off the broadcast.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
And, of course, Oscar host Conan O’Brien found a way to joke about the Kendrick Lamar–Drake beef.
—Christopher Claxton, Billboard, 3 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 12 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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