Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [johk]
- /dʒoʊk/
- /dʒəʊk/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [johk]
- /dʒoʊk/
Definitions of joke word
- noun joke 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
- noun joke something that is amusing or ridiculous, especially 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. 1
- noun joke a matter that need not be taken very seriously; trifling matter: The loss was no joke. 1
- noun joke something that does not present the expected challenge; something very easy: The test was a joke for the whole class. 1
- noun joke practical joke. 1
- verb without object joke to speak or act in a playful or merry way: He was always joking with us. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of joke
First appearance:
before 1660 One of the 46% oldest English words
First recorded in 1660-70, joke is from the Latin word jocus jest
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Joke
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
joke popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".
joke usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for joke
verb joke
- jest — a joke or witty remark; witticism.
- kid — Thomas, 1558–94, English dramatist.
- pretend — to cause or attempt to cause (what is not so) to seem so: to pretend illness; to pretend that nothing is wrong.
- mess around — a dirty, untidy, or disordered condition: The room was in a mess.
noun joke
- witticism — a witty remark or sentence.
- shaggy-dog story — a funny story, traditionally about a talking dog, that, after an often long and involved narration of unimportant incidents, has an absurd or irrelevant punch line.
- tall tale — far-fetched story
- gag — to introduce usually comic interpolations into (a script, an actor's part, or the like) (usually followed by up).
- anecdote — An anecdote is a short, amusing account of something that has happened.
Antonyms for joke
verb joke
- compliment — A compliment is a polite remark that you say to someone to show that you like their appearance, appreciate their qualities, or approve of what they have done.
- flatter — to make flat.
- praise — the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation; laudation.
noun joke
- seriousness — of, showing, or characterized by deep thought.
- tragedy — a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster: stunned by the tragedy of so many deaths.
- work — Henry Clay, 1832–84, U.S. songwriter.
- flattery — the act of flattering.