ENGLISH
REFERENCE

joker

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈdʒoʊkɝ// UK //dʒˈəʊkɐ// jok·er Informal Slang

n. a person who likes to tell jokes or play tricks on others. It can also be a rude way to describe someone you think is annoying or foolish.

n. a person who habitually jokes or plays pranks; also used as a mildly pejorative term for a person considered foolish, incompetent, or annoying. Often used in British English to dismiss someone's seriousness or authority.


SIMPLE

He is the office joker and always makes us laugh.

CONTEXTUAL

Some joker left a fake spider on my desk, and I nearly jumped out of my chair.

COMPLEX

The manager dismissed the consultant as a joker who had no real understanding of how the manufacturing floor actually operated on a daily basis.

Synonyms
Origin

From joke + -er, but in the sense of a playing card possibly by alteration of Jucker, also the origin of the name of the card game euchre.

Usage

Commonly used with the definite article ('the joker') when identifying a specific person in a group known for humor.

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