{
    "term": "joke",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "something that you say or do to make people laugh, for example a funny story that you tell",
            "sensetop": "as a jokejoke about somebody/something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I can't **tell jokes**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She's always **cracking jokes**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They often **make jokes** at each other's expense."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The kids in that class are always looking to **play a joke on** the teacher."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I didn't **get the joke** *(= understand it)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I wish he wouldn't tell **dirty jokes** *(= about sex)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a **sick joke** *(= about death, disease, etc.)*"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I only did it as a joke *(= it was not meant seriously)*.",
                    "contextForm": "as a joke"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Have you heard the joke about the elephant and the mouse?",
                    "contextForm": "joke about somebody/something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He told us the ending, completely spoiling the joke."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She treated her exams as a huge joke."
                },
                {
                    "text": "His brothers were always playing practical jokes."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She didn't seem to find my jokes amusing."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He doesn't like jokes about his height."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She likes to have a joke with her employees."
                },
                {
                    "text": "That's an old joke—I've heard it lots of times."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The audience wasn't very responsive and the jokes fell flat."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The show features a running joke about a nosy dog."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["amusing", "funny", "good"],
                "verb + joke": ["crack", "make", "tell"],
                "joke + verb": ["fall flat", "be on somebody"],
                "preposition": ["as a joke", "joke about"],
                "phrases": ["make a joke of something"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a person, thing or situation that is silly or annoying and cannot be taken seriously",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "This latest pay offer is a joke."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This can't really be happening—it must be some kind of cruel joke."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to become annoying and no longer acceptable",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "His teasing is getting beyond a joke."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be difficult or unpleasant",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It's no joke trying to find a job these days."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to say that somebody who tried to make another person look silly now looks silly instead",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I thought I'd play a trick on them, but in the end the joke was on me."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to laugh about something that is serious or should be taken seriously",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We tried to make a joke of our situation, but it wasn't really funny."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be able to laugh at a joke against yourself",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The trouble with her is she can't take a joke."
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dʒəʊk/",
                "audio": "jo/joke/joke__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dʒəʊk/",
                "audio": "jo/joke/joke__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "late 17th cent. (originally slang): perhaps from Latin jocus ‘jest, wordplay’."
}