joke around
phr. v..phr. v.. to behave in a silly or funny way to make people laugh, often instead of being serious.
phr. v.. to engage in lighthearted or playful behavior; often used to describe an inappropriate lack of seriousness in a formal context.
Stop joking around and finish your homework.
The coworkers like to joke around during their lunch break to relieve the stress of the day.
While the atmosphere in the locker room was light as the players joked around, the coach remained focused on the upcoming championship game.
- Particles
- around
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- joke + around
usually used without a direct object; often implies that the person should be doing something more productive.
contrast with 'make fun of' (which is often mean-spirited) and 'kid' (which is often a single verbal act); 'joke around' describes a general state of playful behavior.
He is joking around his friends.He is joking around with his friends.when mentioning other people, the preposition 'with' is required after the phrase.