joke 1 of 2

noun

ˈjōk How to pronounce joke (audio)
Definition of jokenext
1
as in laugh
something said or done to cause laughter he was known for his hilarious jokes

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2
as in parody
a poor, insincere, or insulting imitation of something her rendition of the national anthem is a joke

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in fool
a person or thing that is made fun of having lost his looks and his voice years ago, these days he's just a show business joke and fodder for late-night comedy

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

joke

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to fun
to make jokes he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life

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2
as in to tease
to make fun of in a good-natured way oh, don't get offended, I was just joking you

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of joke
Noun
Those thick locks that inspired so many jealous jokes among your friends and their balding husbands. — Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026 The Atlanta Falcons received backlash — and some jokes — after revealing a retro team symbol that some say resembles Nazi imagery. — Josephine Murphy, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
Verb
Many worried, or joked, about whether Hall might be a pedophile. — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026 These days, Corcoran jokes that her hardest decision is where to drink her morning coffee. — David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for joke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joke
  1. laugh
  2. parody
  3. fool
  4. kid
  5. tease
  6. joking
  7. caricature
  8. target
Noun
  • White elephant gift exchanges are a holiday party staple, bringing plenty of laughs, a little friendly competition and, of course, the occasional gift-stealing showdown.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Cohen is so naturally funny and quick with improvisation that there are plenty of laughs along the way.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • The joke became the Cockroach Janta Party, a parody of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP, and then a protest movement.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 26 Oct. 2026
  • For those who don't know, GTA VI is set in the fictional Vice City, which is a parody of real-life South Florida.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of parody
Noun
  • But Thomas and Erika are no fools, coolly telling off smiling Hitler sympathizers during a tony reception.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The Atlanta Dream might now be the hottest ticket in town and State Farm Arena would be fools not to host them in Game 6.
    — Don Riddell, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of fool
Verb
  • But kidding aside, AI used in the right way can make people smarter about their health, more so than most realize.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Pursuing big goals while parenting shows kids the value of hard work and resilience.
    — Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal, Parents, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of kid
Verb
  • The collection was teased in the initial announcement for Gymshark’s campaign with Megan, who wore the SoftSense shorts in Impact Red.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Morgan had previously teased that the reality series would stream on Hulu, but Versant insiders said there were no streaming plans at the time.
    — Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tease
Noun
  • Russell was mentioned in that speech, but in a joking way, playing off of how frequent Oscars director Glenn Weiss, who won for his role helming the 2018 Academy Awards telecast, had used his speech to propose to his then-girlfriend.
    — Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Arch Manning's joking comments at a news conference about a fake video of coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe erupted in controversy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of joking
Noun
  • But on that score, too, Jackson tries to soften the caricature of the billionaire executive.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • What is acceptable in today’s society is the Real Housewives franchise, where all of these things kind of play out, but almost in caricature.
    — Raymond Ang, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of caricature
Noun
  • President Emmanuel Macron has been the primary target of scorn following nationwide riots that overtook Paris and other cities, but the insurgent National Rally does not want to let mainstream conservatives off the hook.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Las Vegas’ Michael Mayer (six receptions, 32 yards) was a frequent target.
    — Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of target

Phrases Containing joke

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Cite this Entry

“Joke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joke. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about joke

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