joke

joke1 [ dʒouk ] noun count **

1. ) something you say or do that is intended to make people laugh:

Is this some kind of stupid joke?

Greg sprayed her with water as a joke.

make/crack a joke (=say something funny): The men all sat there drinking beer and cracking jokes.

play a joke on someone (=do something to trick someone): Stephen decided to play a joke on his teacher.

someone's idea of a joke (=an action that someone thinks is funny but you do not): Hiding my car keys was her idea of a joke.

a ) a short story that is funny at the end. The last line of the joke is called the punchline:

tell a joke: Soon the kids relaxed and were laughing and telling jokes.

joke about: He told us a great joke about a talking dog.

sick joke (=a very unpleasant joke): a sick joke about a dog in a microwave oven

get the joke (=understand why the story is funny): Sorry I don't get the joke. Can you explain it?

2. ) something that is funny:

The nurses thought it was all a huge joke.

a ) something that is so bad or silly it annoys you:

That price is just a joke!

be no joke

to be very difficult or unpleasant:

It's no joke bringing up two kids on your own.

can take a joke

if you can take a joke, you are able to laugh when someone makes a joke about you or does something to trick you

go/get beyond a joke

if a situation goes beyond a joke, it becomes annoying or makes you feel worried

the joke is on someone

used for saying that someone who was trying to make someone else seem silly has made themselves look silly

joke

joke 2 [ dʒouk ] verb intransitive **

to say things that are intended to make people laugh:

joke with: Jill was laughing and joking with the customers.

joke about: You shouldn't joke about such serious things.

joke that: Helen joked that she would now be irresistible to men.

be joking

to say something that is not true, to see if someone will believe you, so that you can laugh about it:

I thought he was joking when he said he'd resigned.

No, really, I'm not joking!

(all) joking aside/apart SPOKEN

used before you say something serious after you have been saying something that was intended to be funny:

Joking aside, she's a great actor.

only/just joking SPOKEN

used for saying that what you have just said is not really true:

I've lost your car keys. Only joking, they're in my pocket.

you're joking or you must be joking SPOKEN

used for saying that you cannot believe someone really means what they have just said because it seems so surprising or silly

╾ jok|ing|ly adverb:

Half jokingly, Clare took on the role of teacher.