n.
- a thing said to cause amusement.
▸a trick played for fun.
- informal a ridiculously inadequate person or thing.
v.
make jokes.
▸archaic poke fun at.
Phrase
- be no joke
informal be a serious or difficult matter. - be beyond a joke
informal be serious or worrying.
Derivative
- joking adj.
- jokingly adv.
Etymology
C17: perh. from L. jocus ‘jest, wordplay’.