joke

The word “joke” means a short story or remark meant to make people laugh. In plain terms, a funny remark or story, or (informally) something laughably bad.

“Joke” is pronounced JOHK (/ˈd͡ʒoʊ̯k/ in IPA).

Here is “joke” used in a sentence: “He told a joke that had the whole table laughing.”

Depending on how it is used, “joke” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “joke” comes from Latin. From Latin iocus, "jest or pastime" — the same root that gave French jeu and Italian gioco.

“Joke” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Joke” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a short story or remark meant to make people laugh.

Jokes come in many forms. One-liners land a laugh in a single sentence; knock-knock jokes follow a set call-and-response; and puns play on words with similar sounds. There are also observational jokes about everyday life, riddles with a funny answer, and longer story jokes that build to a punchline.

A joke is any short story or remark meant to make people laugh. A pun is one specific technique within humor: a play on words that exploits two meanings or similar sounds, like "time flies like an arrow." Every pun can be a joke, but most jokes rely on more than wordplay.

Most jokes work through surprise: they set up an expectation, then a punchline suddenly twists it in an unexpected direction. Good timing, a relatable subject, and playful use of language all help. Because humor is personal and cultural, the same joke can delight one listener and fall flat with another.