noun

one-liner

WUN-LY-nuhr

One-liner (noun) means a joke told in a single sentence, with the setup and the punchline packed into one line. Example: “His act is nothing but one-liners fired off at speed.”

noun

A joke told in a single sentence, with the setup and the punchline packed into one line.

"His act is nothing but one-liners fired off at speed."

""I told my doctor I broke my arm in two places; he told me to stop going to those places" is a perfect one-liner."

A short, memorable line of dialogue delivered at a dramatic moment, especially in a film.

"The film is remembered less for its plot than for one growled one-liner."

computing A piece of code or a command written on a single line.

"He replaced the whole script with a Perl one-liner."

How to Use One-liner

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA joke that fits into one sentence.

When to use it

Neutral; used freely in reviews and everyday speech.

Easily confused with

punchline → wisecrack → catchphrase →

Common pairings

a killer one-liner fire off one-liners a string of one-liners

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

His act is nothing but _____ fired off at speed.

Etymology

A compound of one and liner, a thing consisting of a single line.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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gag quip zinger wisecrack witticism catchphrase quotable line

Related Words

joke sally motto slogan prank gag pun muzzle

Rhymes for one-liner

miner diner liner finer niner Tiner shiner joiner whiner Rainer Reiner Weiner

See all rhymes for one-liner →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a one-liner and a wisecrack?

A one-liner is a constructed joke that could be written down and told by anyone. A wisecrack is a spontaneous cheeky remark that depends on the situation and usually pokes at someone who is present.

Who is famous for one-liners?

The form is closely associated with comedians such as Henny Youngman, Steven Wright, Mitch Hedberg and Tim Vine, whose acts consist largely of unconnected single-sentence jokes rather than longer stories.

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