joking 1 of 3

adjective

as in kidding
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing grinned and gave him a joking nudge with my elbow

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joking

2 of 3

noun

as in jesting

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joking

3 of 3

verb

present participle of joke
1
as in funning
to make jokes he was known for his ability to joke about his lack of anything resembling a social life

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in teasing
to make fun of in a good-natured way oh, don't get offended, I was just joking you

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of joking
Noun
Back in December 1968, Dolan wrote a joking column about the earlier Lake Worth monster, from way back in 1947. — Star-Telegram Staff, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026 Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night. — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 June 2026 Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood. — Literary Hub, 11 June 2026 Sometimes a playful comment, an unexpected reply or a joking callout between brands takes on a life of its own online. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026 Despite that underlying tension, kids play on the street outside while the large family has a dynamic like any other — noisily squabbling, joking, or in the case of the matriarchal grandmother, Mariam (Hiam Abbass), preparing a meal in a kitchen plagued by constant utility outages. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026 The president has long bristled at the otherwise customary joking at his expense by celebrity comedians. — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 28 Apr. 2026 Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial. — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026 There was none of the usual laughing and joking. — Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
Though some eagle fans had good fun with her name and joking that Shadow was cheating on Jackie, Jolene is considered a bit too young to be thinking about mating. — Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2026 They were dressed as food-delivery workers, carrying insulated bags on their backs, joking with one another and livestreaming everything with their phones. — Will Gottsegen, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 The three-time Grammy Award winner continued poking fun at the unexpected moment, joking that fans had little reason to worry about an accidental reveal. — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026 But now it's become very clear that Yarvin's not joking and that the billionaires who support Curtis Yarvin are not joking. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026 The three were smiling and joking, seemingly unaware of any impending attack, the images indicate. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026 The au naturel prix-fixes ignited controversy the moment the restaurant’s flyer started circulating on social media in late June, with most chatter ranging from joking to serious, bawdy to scandalized. — Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 1 Aug. 2026 Reynolds could be seen joking around with a larger-than-life Olaf from Frozen, posing with a fan donning a Deadpool jersey, and swinging a faux sword with another Deadpool cosplayer, who donned the character’s original red suit. — Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026 If everyone is joking about one line in the comments, use it. — Kelly Samuel, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for joking
  1. sarcastic
  2. jesting
  3. kidding
  4. teasing
  5. mocking
  6. nonsense
  7. quizzical
Adjective
  • Our second president, John Adams, was said to have had a sarcastic demeanor and made biting remarks about his contemporaries.
    — John Blumenthal, Chicago Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Why are people so hungry for a bratty, sarcastic version of Abigail Williams?
    — Moises Mendez II, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Noun
  • Hudson showed some subtle support for the jesting knocks to her boyfriend by reposting a clip of his final joke shared on Fox News' official X page.
    — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026
  • No matter what happened, Dunham could not seem to help posting through it, her public persona one of infinite jesting confession.
    — Madeline Leung Coleman, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Definition of jesting
Verb
  • But Guthrie wasn’t kidding, slipping into a yellow gingham dress before joining her co-hosts on the Today Show Plaza to greet visitors.
    — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026
  • Just kidding, but seeing Angela’s team sweep Shamea’s at the Bailey Bowl basketball tournament was almost as satisfying as knowing Charles got to witness his former team’s historic win in person.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Definition of kidding
Verb
  • The film also shows Reagan confidently teasing his negotiating team about being Democrats, which was probably done so that the movie could make the summit seem like a bipartisan effort.
    — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Pasquarosa began teasing her relationship with Fiore in late February by posting photos and videos with him on social media.
    — Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of teasing
Adjective
  • To get a sense of his whole deal, look no further than the half-mocking, half-earnest title of his latest album, Country!
    — Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of mocking
Noun
  • Nonmaterialism was the sort of wishful nonsense preached by those who weren’t in any real danger of going hungry.
    — Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Personally, this idea that the woke nonsense is just an outmoded relic of the past is ridiculous.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of nonsense
Adjective
  • Long missing an eyebrow, the plushie looked forever quizzical.
    — Danielle Paquette, Washington Post, 8 Aug. 2026
  • To its left, sausages revolved on chrome rollers; to its right, a human attendant in a brightly colored uniform looked patient and quizzical.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of quizzical

Browse Nearby Words

jokiness
joking
jollied
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Cite this Entry

“Joking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/joking. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of joking for Spanish Speakers

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