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 WebNoah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2024
Her induction speech was filled with jokes for the crowd, including a lighthearted nod to a spelling error on her plaque.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2024
Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024
Yu whipped his head around, and the two joked about chasing the man down.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for joke 
Noun
Khanna doesn’t yell or crack many jokes, but admirers and opponents note how the congressman, who is always in a suit, sees value in engaging his critics and anyone else who wants to hear from him.
—Noah Bierman, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2024
Her induction speech was filled with jokes for the crowd, including a lighthearted nod to a spelling error on her plaque.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2024
Verb
While chatting with her sister, Kylie Jenner, on the May 30 episode of The Kardashians, the Good American founder, 39, joked about how her camel toe has disappeared since losing weight.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024
Yu whipped his head around, and the two joked about chasing the man down.
—Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 30 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for joke
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'joke.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near joke
Cite this Entry
“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/joke. Accessed 13 Jun. 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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