Joke

Definition: Joke

Joke

Noun

1. A humorous anecdote or remark.

2. Activity characterized by good humor.

3. A ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement.

Verb

1. Tell a joke; speak humorously; "He often jokes even when he appears serious".

2. Act in a funny or teasing way.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "joke" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1380. (references)

19th Century Satire

Multilingual Slang

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Joke

Ridicule

Verb: ridicule, deride, mock, taunt; laugh in one's sleeve; tease, badinage, banter, rally, chaff, joke, twit, quiz, roast; haze; tehee; fleer; show up.

Wit

Jest, joke, jape, jibe; facetiae, levity, quips and cranks; capital joke; canorae nugae; standing jest, standing joke, private joke, conceit, quip, quirk, crank, quiddity, concetto, plaisanterie, brilliant idea; merry thought, bright thought, happy thought; sally; flash of wit, flash of merriment; scintillation; mot, mot pour rire; witticism, smart saying, bon-mot,jeu d'esprit,epigram; jest book; dry joke, quodlibet, cream of the jest.

Crosswords: Joke

We'll be doing this for real tomorrow night and I don't want nobody to remember some stupid joke like that and get it going again (The Green Mile; writing credit: Frank Darabont)

The whole world's a joke to me. (Shadow of a Doubt; writing credit: Gordon McDonell; Thornton Wilder)

Its a joke name, sir. (Life of Brian; writing credit: Graham Chapman; John Cleese)

This is not a joke! I'm committing suicide (Hook; writing credit: J.M. Barrie;)

Oh, you think this is a joke. I can come up with alternatives other than Crete and I'm real good at stuff like that (Good Morning, Vietnam; writing credit: Mitch Markowitz)

I started a joke, which started the whole world crying, (I Started a Joke; performing artist: The Bee Gees)

That would be a joke (Goody Two Shoes; performing artist: Adam Ant)

A joke I heard today (Pop A Top; performing artist: Alan Jackson)

And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke ("Piano Man"; performing artist: Billy Joel)

And laugh and joke about me on the phone ("Achy Breaky Heart"; performing artist: Billy Ray Cyrus)

A joke, even if it be a lame one, is nowhere so keenly relished or quickly applauded as in a murder trial. (references; author: Mark Twain)

I'm serious. It was a joke. (references; author: unknown)

He who laughs last probably didn't get the joke. (references; author: unknown)

If you can't laugh at yourself, you may be missing the joke of the century. (references; author: unknown)

The Joke (1973)

Beyond a Joke (1972)

Son It's a Joke (1947)

The Joke That Failed (1917)

I Do Like a Joke (1916)

I Started a Joke (performing artist: The Bee Gees)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Joke Book (Rocket Power Digest Humor) (reference)

• Pretty Good Joke Book: A Prairie Home Companion (reference)

• The Everything Kids' Joke Book: Side-Splitting, Rib-Tickling Fun (Everything Kids Series) (reference)

• The Joke (Definitive Version) (reference)

  (more book examples)

Theater & Movies

• The Joke (reference)

• It's a Joke Son (reference)

  (more DVD examples; more video examples)

Music

• Joke Man (reference)

• Take a Joke America [EXPLICIT LYRICS] (reference)

  (more classical music examples; more popular music examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

WEMS - The Women's Emergency Map Service WEMS started as a joke passed to press that ran national article Although never a formal service, women functioned in many C&GS jobs during war By war's end, there was more truth to WEMS than cartoonist had visualized. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection.

Sure it's no bad joke on ye, sor. Credit: Library of Congress.

I was thinking what a joke it was, she said, on us both. Credit: Library of Congress.

I ain't skeered, but I knows what I'm seeing -- and it's no Halloween joke, either. Credit: Library of Congress.

Don't laugh, it's no joke. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Better pass it off as a joke.

He evidently feared that, stupid as she looked, she understood what she said this time, and was having a joke at his expense

Marius was too sad to take a joke kindly even from chance, or to lend himself to the game which the street pavement seemed to wish to play with him.

It was a joke, he thought

Sometimes he smiles a little at a joke, but he never laughs

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Health

The old joke about a patient being awakened by a nurse so he could take a sleeping pill contains a grain of truth. (references)

Travel

Philippines

Where the Western businessperson thinks that time is gold and wants to get to the point immediately, the Filipino likes to be indirect, talk about mutual friends and family, exchange pleasantries, and joke. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "joke": a broad joke ♦ a practical joke ♦ a threadbare joke ♦ amusing joke ♦ April Fool's Joke ♦ as a joke ♦ bad joke ♦ be the joke of ♦ blue joke ♦ can't take a joke ♦ corny joke ♦ crack a joke ♦ cramp joke ♦ cream of the joke ♦ cruel joke ♦ cut a joke ♦ dirty joke ♦ dry joke ♦ ethnic joke ♦ flat joke ♦ for a joke ♦ grim joke ♦ have a joke at smb.'s expense ♦ he can't take a joke ♦ in joke ♦ irish joke ♦ joke article ♦ joke at one's expense ♦ joke figure ♦ make a joke on ♦ no joke ♦ old joke ♦ pass off with a joke ♦ perpetrator of the joke ♦ play a joke on ♦ play a joke on smb. ♦ play a practical joke on smb. ♦ practical joke ♦ priceless joke ♦ ribald joke ♦ risque joke ♦ she can't take a joke ♦ sick joke ♦ smutty joke ♦ splendid joke ♦ stale joke ♦ take a joke ♦ the joke is on smb. ♦ this is beyond a joke ♦ threadbare joke ♦ tired joke ♦ treat smth. as a joke ♦ visual joke. Additional references.

Beginning with "joke": joke-books, joke-capping, joke-count, joke-figure, joke-hero, joke-night, joke-offering, joke-production, joke-shop, joke-telling, joke-themes, joke-tie.

Ending with "joke": in-joke, poofter-joke.

Containing "joke": you-and-me-having-a-little-joke-together.

Albanian

tallje (banter, derision, dig, fleer, flout, gibe, gird, jeer, jesting, jibe, mock, mockery, pleasantry, quiz, ridicule, satire, scoff, sneer, snook, Snoot, spoof, sport, taunt, twit), tallem (flout, fool about, fool around, hoax, jape, jeer, laugh at, make fun of, make smb. laugh, make sport of, mock, quiz, scoff), shaka (badinage, crack, facetiae, gag, hoax, jape, jest, jocosity, jocularity, lark, persiflage, play, pleasantry, prank, quiz, spoof, trick, waggery), lojë (fun, game, kiss-in-the-ring, performance, play, toy, trick), bëj shaka (badinage, gag, jape, jest, kid, make a game of, make smb. laugh, quiz, rally, rot, trifle). (various references)

Arabic 

‏مزحة (banter, caper, frolic, game, jest, jocularity, prank, rag, raillery, romp, trick, waggery), ‏مزاح (badinage, banter, fun, jest, kidding, lark, playfulness, pleasantries, pleasantry, practical joke, raillery, waggery, wagging, waggish), ‏مزح (banter, banting, chaff, fool, frolic, fun, in play, kid, lark, make fun of, rag, skylark, trifle, waggle), ‏مازح (banter, fool around with, frolicsome, jest with, jocular, tease), ‏هزل (attenuate, badinage, emaciate, extenuate, fun, humor, humour, languish, peak, pine, pine away, playfulness, pleasantry, reduce, slim, thin), ‏نكتة (anecdote, crack, gag, hoax, jest, pleasantries, rib, witticism), ‏أضحوكة (stooge), ‏شىء هين, ‏شىء تافه (bagatelle, bauble, bosh, damn, duffer, dust, fluff, frivolity, froth, gewgaw, hog, piffling, small beer, tripe, triviality), ‏دعابة (frolic, good humor, good humour, humor, humour, jest, jesting, joking, pleasantries), ‏دعب. (various references)

Basque

txiste. (various references)

Bulgarian 

смешка (fun), шегувам се (chaff, gag, jape, jest, jolly, rally, rot, sport), шега (chaff, fun, game, hoax, jape, jest, jig, lark, pleasantry, prank, quiz, raillery, rib, sport, tease, trick, waggery), обект на подигравки (mock), анекдот (anecdote), правя си шеги, посмешище (derision, laughingstock, mock, mockery, ridicule, scoff, sight, sport), подигравам се на (dig, laugh at, make fun of, monkey, poke fun at, taunt). (various references)

Catalan

broma (gag). (various references)

Chinese 

玩笑 (jest), 笑話 (jest), 笑话. (various references)

Czech

vtipkovat (banter, crack jokes, jape, jest, quip), vtip (gag, wit), anekdota (anecdote), žertovat (banter, fool, fool around, jest, make fun, play tricks, trifle), žert (fun, gag, jape, jest, prank), švanda (fun, side-splitter), šprým (jape, jest, prank, quirk). (various references)

Danish

spøge (jest). (various references)

Dutch

pots (gag), mop (blot, cupcake, gag, spot, witticism), kwinkslag (gag, witticism), grol (gag), grap (gag). (various references)

Esperanto

ŝerco (gag), ŝerci (jest), ŝercaĵo (gag). (various references)

Faeroese

skemta (jest). (various references)

Farsi 

لطیفه (Epigram, Jape, Jest, Quip, Witticism), شوخی کردن (Fun, Indulge, Jest, Josh, Lark, Trick), شوخی (Bob, Curvet, Fun, Game, Gig, Humor, Jape, Jest, Jink, Jocosity, Lark, Pleasantry, Prank, Quiz, Sport, Spree, Witticism), بذله (Gambit, Jest, Quip). (various references)

Finnish

laskea leikkiä (jest, make fun). (various references)

French

plaisanterie (jocularity, joking), plaisanter (crack a joke), farce (practical joke). (various references)

Frisian

grapke (gag), gekjeie (jest), aardichheid (entertainment, fun, gag, pleasure). (various references)

German

Spaß (enjoyment, frolic, fun, gag, jest, lark, prank, sport, spree), Scherz (frolic, fun, gag, hoax, jest, kidding, leg pull, play, pleasantry, spoof, tomfoolery, yoke), witz (gag, jest, quip, story, wisecrack, wit, witticism), scherzen (banter, dally, frolic, jest, jesting, kid, play, to joke, trifle), Jux (frolic, gag, lark, rag). (various references)

Greek 

αστείο (antics, chaff, fun, gag, hoax, jape, jest, pleasantry, sport). (various references)

Hebrew 

ב�"יח�" (anecdote, funny story, gag, jape, jest). (various references)

Hungarian

tréfa (droll, freak, fun, gag, game, hoax, jape, jeer, jest, jocularity, lark, mischief, monkeyshine, skylarking, sport, spree, story, waggery), móka (crap, Dido, drollery, fun, game, jollity, pantaloonery, skylark, waggishness). (various references)

Indonesian

membanyol (play the clown, tell joke, to crack jokes), gurauan (prank), cura (jest), cumbu (flattery, jest, sweet talk), bercura, banyolan (farce, humorous scene). (various references)

Italian

scherzo (banter, child's play, frolic, frolics, gag, game, hoaw, jape, jest, lark, play, prank, quiz, rag, trick, trifle), scherzare (Coquet, dally, frolic, jest, kid, play, trifle, wanton), lazzo (hoaw, jest, witticism). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

冗談 (jest). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

ぎ�'�" (falsehood, nonsense, silly things), たわ�"と (nonsense, silly things), たわむれ (caprice, flirtation, fun, jest, play, sport), おどけぐち, ざれ�"と (a joke, nonsense, silly things, wanton sporting), しゃれ (pun, witticism), ひとくちばなし (anecdote), かいぎゃく (banter, jest), ジョーク , じょう� �"ぐち, じょう� �" (dais, jest, place of honor, raised part of floor, upper tier), はいぎゃく. (various references)

Korean 

농담 (joking). (various references)

Manx

springeragh (joking, playful, playing tricks), springaght, spring (trick), spotcheraght (jest, jesting, joking), spotchal (jest), spotch (jest). (various references)

Norwegian

spøk (gag, hoax, jest). (various references)

Occitan

nhòrla. (various references)

Papiamen

chiste (gag), chasko (gag), chansa (jest), broma (gag). (various references)

Pig Latin

okejay.(various references)

Polish

żatrować (jest). (various references)

Portuguese

gracejo (banter, frolic, fun, gag, jest, jocosity, pleasantry, raillery, sally, sport, waggery), piada (anecdote, dig, gag, jerk, jest), gracejar (banter, droll, fib, frolic, fun, jape, jest, josh, kid, lark, tease, trifle), brincar (coquet, fool, frisk, frolic, fun, gambol, have a good time, jape, jest, josh, kid, lark, play, romp, toy, trifle), brincadeira (a practical joke, badinage, banter, dalliance, diversion, drollery, escapade, frisk, frolic, fun, gag, gambol, game, gibe, gird, hoax, humor, humour, jape, jest, jibe, joking, josh, lark, play, pleasantry, practical joke, prank, raillery, rig, sport, waggery). (various references)

Romanian

vorbã de haz, vorbã de duh (crack, jest, Sally), pãcãlealã (dupery, farce, hoax, leg pull, sell), obiect de batjocurã (jest), glumi (dally, fool, jape, jest, jolly, kid, lark), glumå (gag), glumã (chaff, farce, frolic, fun, gag, game, jape, jest, lark, play, prank, sport, trick, wheeze, wisecrack, wit, witticism), ghiduşie (farce), farsã (farce, hoax, humbug, interlude, leg pull, low comedy, Masquerade, trick), întâmplare hazlie. (various references)

Russian 

шутка (banter, farce, fun, jape, jest, jocularity, lark, legpull, one-liner, pleasantry, raillery, sport, trick, witticism), шутить шутка (jest), шутить (droll, jape, jest, joked, joking, josh, kidding, trifle), острота (acridity, acridness, acuity, acuteness, bon mot, fineness, funnies, mot, one-liner, pepper, pepperiness, piquancy, poignancy, pungency, quip, sharpness, trenchancy, wisecrack, witticism), подшучивать (banter, chaff, hoax, jolly, make game of, monkey, poke fun, quiz, rag, rally, razz). (various references)

Scottish

fealla-dh� (joking, nf.ind. a joke). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

zasmejavati (make laugh), vic, pošalica (quip), našaliti se (quip), dosetka (jest, quip, sally, witticism), šegačiti se (banter, lark, palter), šaliti se (droll, fool, fool around, jest, kid, lark, monkey, niggle, trifle), šala (dalliance, dido, farce, fun, have on, jest, lark, pleasantry, rag, rib, sally, trick). (various references)

Spanish

chanza (badinage, banter, gag, jest, pleasantry), burla (circumvention, derision, gag, gibe, jape, jeer, jest, jibe, persiflage, ragging, scoff, scoffing, skit, sneer, takeoff, trick), broma (badinage, banter, cantrip, facetiae, fun, gag, jag, jape, jest, lark, panic, pleasantry, prank, quiz), bromear (banter, daff, deride, fool, fool around, fun, jape, jest, jive, kid on, play, spoof), chiste (entertainment, facetiousness, fun, gag, hoaw, jest, motto, point, story, witticism). (various references)

Sranan

spotu (gag, jeer at, make fun of, mock). (various references)

Swedish

vits (equivoke, equivoque, funny, gag, pun, witticism), skämta (banter, cod, fool, fun, jape, jest, kid, make jokes), skämt (banter, booby-trap, foul, fun, funny, gag, jape, jest, jesting, jokes, joking, lark, pleasantry, trifling, wheeze), upptåg (antic, antics, caper, cod, Dido, escapade, frisk, frolic, fun, gag, gambol, high jinks, jinks, lark, practical joke, prank, rag, spree), skoja (cheat, frolic, gyp, jape, jeer, jest, kid, lark, rag, spoof, swindle), skoj (caper, chaff, cheating, fraud, Frisk, frolic, fun, gag, gyp, high jinks, humbug, humbuggery, imposture, jape, jest, jesting, Josh, jugglery, kidding, lark, leg pull, sham, shenanigan, tomfoolery, trickery), gyckla (jest, quiz). (various references)

Tagalog

birúin (jest), birò (gag). (various references)

Thai

เรื่องตลก (jape, rib-tickler), พู�"ตลก (gag, jest). (various references)

Turkish

muziplik yapmak (have a lark, lark, lark about, lark around, play pranks on smb., skylark), muziplik (caper, Dido, fooling, frolic, hoax, lark, prank, rag, teasing, trick), komiklik (amusement, bufoonery, funny behaviour, humorousness, ludicrousness, risibility), fıkra anlatmak, fıkra (anecdote, article, clause, funnies, paragraph), espri yapmak (gag, quip), azízlík (gag), şaka yapmak (banter, crack jokes, fool, have a lark, jest, kid, lark, lark about, lark around, pull smb.'s leg), şaka (badinage, banter, chaff, drollery, fun, game, hell, humor, humour, jest, lark, monkeyshiness, pleasantry, quiz, sport, waggery, waggishness, wheeze, wisecrack, witticism), alay konusu (mock, standing jest), alay (banter, cortege, derision, fleet, fun, gag, gibe, irony, jape, jeer, jest, jibe, leg pull, mock, mockery, parade, persiflage, procession, quiz, regiment, regimental, ridicule, rub, scoff, sneer, taunt, teasing, troops in line, wipe). (various references)

Turkmen 

degiюmek. (various references)

Ukrainian

кепкувати (badinage, chaff, droll), жартувати (badinage, banter, chaff, droll, fun, gag, jape, jest, jolly, lark, lark around, monkey, play, trifle, yak), жарт (cantrip, jape, jest, jocosity, panic, play, pleasantry, skit, trick, wheeze, witticism), посміховище (derision, laughingstock, mock, mockery, pillory, ridicule, scoff, target), дотеп (esprit, gag, mot, nifty, quirk, repartee, salt, wheeze, wisecrack, witticism, yak). (various references)

Vietnamese 

trường hợp xảy ra bu�"n cười, lời nói đùa (chaff, jocularity), chuyện lố bịch, chuyện bu�"n cười. (various references)

Welsh

jocan, jo+c, ysmalio (jest), ffraetheb (witticism), cellwair (badinage, banter, fun, jest, trifle). (various references)

Yucatec

baaxal t'aan (gag). (various references)

iocus. (various references)

gleowian. (various references)

Derivations

Words beginning with "joke": joked, joker, jokers, jokes, jokester, jokesters, jokey. (additional references)

Misspellings

"Joke" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: ajoke, Gjoka, goke, jace, jaka, ja-kki, Jek, jeke, Jekou, jice, Jik, jike, Jka, jke, joae, joak, jobe, joc, joce, Jocem, joci, Jocke, joct, Jode, joee, jofe, joge, joget, johe, jok, joken, joki, joks, joku, joky, Jole, joley, jome, jone, jope, jore, Joskow, jote, jouen, Jouke, Jouko, jowe, joye, joze, juca, juce, juche, juci, jue, juk, juka, jukic, jukka, jukle, Juku, jukun, jume, juxe, Njoka, oje, Ojjeh, ojoe, Ojok, okeh, voke. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-1 letter: joe, oke.

-2 letters: jo, oe.

+1 letter: joked, joker, jokes, jokey, kopje.

+2 letters: jockey, jokers, jokier, jouked, kopjes.

+3 letters: jockeys, jokiest, jukebox.

+4 letters: jackeroo, jingkoes, jockette, jockeyed, jokester, jokiness, kabeljou, skijorer.

+5 letters: jackeroos, jockettes, jockeying, jokesters, jukeboxes, kabeljous, kilojoule, sjamboked, skijorers, smokejack, superjock.