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joke

Pronunciation: /dʒəʊk/
Translate joke | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of joke

noun

  • a thing that someone says to cause amusement or laughter, especially a story with a funny punchline:she was in a mood to tell jokes
  • a trick played on someone for fun: the others were playing a joke on her
  • [in singular] informal a person or thing that is ridiculously inadequate:public transport is a joke

verb

[no object]
  • make jokes; talk humorously or flippantly:she could laugh and joke with her colleagues (as adjective joking)a joking manner
  • [with object] archaic poke fun at:he was pretending to joke his daughter

Phrases

be no joke

informal be a serious matter or difficult undertaking:trying to shop with three children in tow is no joke

can (or can't) take a joke

be able (or unable) to receive humorous remarks or tricks in the spirit in which they are intended: if you can’t take a joke, you should never have joined

get (or be or go) beyond a joke

informal become (or be) something that is serious or worrying:this rain’s getting beyond a joke

joking apart

said to indicate that one is being serious, especially after making a joke:joking apart, I really appreciate this sort of help

make a joke of

laugh or be humorous about (something that is not funny in itself): if there is a mishap you can make a joke of it

Derivatives

jokingly

adverb

Origin:

late 17th century (originally slang): perhaps from Latin jocus 'jest, wordplay'

joke in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of joke in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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