ENGLISH
REFERENCE

joe

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈdʒoʊ// joe Archaic Informal Slang

n. an ordinary man who represents the average person. You use this when you want to talk about a typical guy who is not famous or special.

n. a generic name used to represent an average or typical man. Often used in the compound phrase 'average Joe' to signify a person with no special status or wealth.


SIMPLE

He is just an average Joe who likes football.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician tried to appeal to the average Joe by visiting local diners and talking about rising gas prices.

COMPLEX

The marketing campaign was designed to resonate with the average Joe rather than the elite consumer, focusing on reliability and affordability over luxury features.

Origin

Short form (diminutive form) of various names beginning with Jo..., particularly the male names Joseph and, less often, Joel, Josiah and Josias. The spelling Jo is used more often for diminutives of similar female names.

Usage

Often used as a proper noun in the fixed expression 'average Joe'.

Idioms5 entries

© 2026 English Reference