something said or done to provoke laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote, or a prankish act: He tells very funny jokes. She played a joke on him.
2.
something that is amusing or ridiculous, esp. because of being ludicrously inadequate or a sham; a thing, situation, or person laughed at rather than taken seriously; farce: Their pretense of generosity is a joke. An officer with no ability to command is a joke.
3.
a matter that need not be taken very seriously; trifling matter: The loss was no joke.
4.
something that does not present the expected challenge; something very easy: The test was a joke for the whole class.
to speak or act in a playful or merry way: He was always joking with us.
7.
to say something in fun or teasing rather than in earnest; be facetious: He didn't really mean it, he was only joking.
–verb (used with object)
8.
to subject to jokes; make fun of; tease.
9.
to obtain by joking: The comedian joked coins from the audience.
[Origin: 1660–70; < L jocus jest]
—Related forms
jokeless, adjective
jok·ing·ly, adverb
—Synonyms 1. wisecrack, gag, jape, prank, quip, quirk, sally, raillery. Joke,jest refer to something said (or done) in sport, or to cause amusement. A joke is something said or done for the sake of exciting laughter; it may be raillery, a witty remark, or a prank or trick: to tell a joke. Jest, today a more formal word, nearly always refers to joking language and is more suggestive of scoffing or ridicule than is joke: to speak in jest.
Something said or done to evoke laughter or amusement, especially an amusing story with a punch line.
A mischievous trick; a prank.
An amusing or ludicrous incident or situation.
Informal
Something not to be taken seriously; a triviality: The accident was no joke.
An object of amusement or laughter; a laughingstock: His loud tie was the joke of the office.
v.
joked, jok·ing, jokes
v.
intr.
To tell or play jokes; jest.
To speak in fun; be facetious.
v.
tr.
To make fun of; tease.
[Latin iocus; see yek- in Indo-European roots.]
jok'ing·ly adv.
Synonyms: These nouns refer to something that is said or done in order to evoke laughter or amusement. Joke especially denotes an amusing story with a punch line at the end: told jokes at the party. Jest suggests frolicsome humor: amusing jests that defused the tense situation.
A witticism is a witty, usually cleverly phrased remark: a speech full of witticisms.
A quip is a clever, pointed, often sarcastic remark: responded to the tough questions with quips. Sally denotes a sudden quick witticism: ended the debate with a brilliant sally. Crack and wisecrack refer less formally to flippant or sarcastic retorts: made a crack about my driving ability; punished for making wisecracks in class. Gag is principally applicable to a broadly comic remark or to comic by-play in a theatrical routine: one of the most memorable gags in the history of vaudeville.
1670, joque, "a jest, something done to excite laughter," from L. jocus "joke, sport, pastime," from PIE base *yek- "to speak" (cf. Bret. iez "language," O.H.G. jehan "to say," Ger. Beichte "confession"). Originally a colloquial or slang word. Meaning "something not to be taken seriously" is 1791. Joker, meaning "odd face card in the deck" is from 1885, probably from earlier slang sense of "man, fellow, chap" (1811).
"American manufacturers of playing-cards are wont to include a blank card at the top of the pack; and it is, alas! true that some thrifty person suggested that the card should not be wasted. This was the origin of the joker." ["St. James's Gazette," 1894]
Practical joke "trick played on someone for the sake of a laugh at his expense" is from 1804.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter; "he told a very funny joke"; "he knows a million gags"; "thanks for the laugh"; "he laughed unpleasantly at his own jest"; "even a schoolboy's jape is supposed to have some ascertainable point"
anything said or done to cause laughter Example: He told/made the old joke about the elephant in the refrigerator; He dressed up as a ghost for a joke; He played a joke on us and dressed up as a ghost.
Arabic:
مَزْحَه، مَقْلَب
Chinese (Simplified):
笑话
Chinese (Traditional):
笑話
Czech:
vtip, žert
Danish:
vittighed
Dutch:
grap
Estonian:
nali
Finnish:
vitsi, kepponen
French:
blague
German:
der Witz
Greek:
αστείο, ανέκδοτο, φάρσα
Hungarian:
tréfa
Icelandic:
brandari
Indonesian:
lelucon
Italian:
barzelletta
Japanese:
冗談
Korean:
농담
Latvian:
joks
Lithuanian:
juokas, pokštas
Norwegian:
vits, spøk, fleip
Polish:
kawał, żart
Portuguese (Brazil):
piada, brincadeira
Portuguese (Portugal):
partida
Romanian:
glumă
Russian:
анекдот; шутка
Slovak:
vtip
Slovenian:
šala
Spanish:
chiste
Swedish:
skämt, vits, skoj
Turkish:
şaka
joke2[dʒəuk]noun
something that causes laughter or amusement Example: The children thought it a huge joke when the cat stole the fish.
Arabic:
نُكْتَه
Chinese (Simplified):
笑料
Chinese (Traditional):
笑料
Czech:
legrace
Danish:
morsomhed
Dutch:
grap
Estonian:
nali
Finnish:
vitsi
French:
tour
German:
der Streich
Greek:
αστείο, κτ. που προκαλεί γέλιο
Hungarian:
móka
Icelandic:
spaug, brandari
Indonesian:
lelucon
Italian:
cosa ridicola*
Japanese:
笑いぐさ
Korean:
웃기는 것
Latvian:
joks
Lithuanian:
juokingas dalykas
Norwegian:
spøk, vittighet
Polish:
kawał
Portuguese (Brazil):
graça
Portuguese (Portugal):
piada
Romanian:
renghi
Russian:
смешной случай
Slovak:
zábava
Slovenian:
šala
Spanish:
gracia
Swedish:
lustighet, spratt
Turkish:
komik olay, gülünç bir şey
joke1[dʒəuk]verb
to make a joke or jokes Example: They joked about my mistake for a long time afterwards.
Arabic:
يَمْزَح
Chinese (Simplified):
开玩笑
Chinese (Traditional):
開玩笑
Czech:
dělat si legraci (z)
Danish:
gøre grin med
Dutch:
grappen maken
Estonian:
teravmeelitsema
Finnish:
vitsailla
French:
plaisanter, (se) moquer (de)
German:
necken
Greek:
κάνω αστεία
Hungarian:
tréfál
Icelandic:
segja brandara, grínast með
Indonesian:
bergurau
Italian:
scherzare
Japanese:
冗談をとばす
Korean:
놀리다
Latvian:
jokot
Lithuanian:
juokauti, juoktis
Norwegian:
spøke, slå vitser
Polish:
żartować
Portuguese (Brazil):
caçoar
Portuguese (Portugal):
brincar
Romanian:
a glumi; a râde de
Russian:
подшучивать
Slovak:
robiť si (z koho) žarty
Slovenian:
šaliti se
Spanish:
contar chistes
Swedish:
skämta, skoja
Turkish:
şaka yapmak
joke2[dʒəuk]verb
to talk playfully and not seriously Example: Don't be upset by what he said — he was only joking.
Jeop"ard*y\, n. [OE. jupartie, juperti, jeuparti, OF. jeu parti an even game, a game in which the chances are even; OF. jeu, ju, F. jeu (L. jocus jest) + F. partier to divide, L. partire to divide. See Joke, and Part.] Exposure to death, loss, or injury; hazard; danger. There came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. --Luke viii. 23. Look to thyself, thou art in jeopardy. --Shak. Syn: Danger; peril; hazard; risk. See Danger.
Jest\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Jested; p. pr. & vb. n. Jesting.]1. To take part in a merrymaking; -- especially, to act in a mask or interlude. [Obs.] --Shak. 2. To make merriment by words or actions; to joke; to make light of anything. He jests at scars that never felt a wound. --Shak. Syn: To joke; sport; rally. Usage: To Jest, Joke. One jests in order to make others laugh; one jokes to please himself. A jest is usually at the expense of another, and is often ill-natured; a joke is a sportive sally designed to promote good humor without wounding the feelings of its object. "Jests are, therefore, seldom harmless; jokes frequently allowable. The most serious subject may be degraded by being turned into a jest." --Crabb.
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