noun
joke
JOHK
noun
1
A short story or remark meant to make people laugh.
"He told a joke that had the whole table laughing."
"She couldn't remember the punchline of the joke."
2
Something so poor or absurd that it isn't taken seriously.
"The so-called security system was a joke."
verb
1
To say or do something for fun rather than seriously.
"Don't worry, I was only joking about quitting."
How to Use Joke
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA funny remark or story, or (informally) something laughably bad.
Common pairings
tell a joke
crack a joke
play a joke on someone
take a joke
Word Forms
joked past tense, jokes plural, jokes singular
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He told a _____ that had the whole table laughing.
Etymology
From Latin iocus, "jest or pastime" — the same root that gave French jeu and Italian gioco.