# joker

/ˈdʒoʊkɝ/ (US) · /dʒˈəʊkɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/joker
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. a person who jokes

noun · CEFR B1

someone who likes to tell jokes or play tricks on people.

For teachers: a person who habitually makes jokes or performs pranks.

- He is the class joker and always makes everyone laugh during lunch.
- Every office has a resident joker who uses humour to diffuse the tension of tight deadlines and demanding clients.

### 2. playing card

noun · CEFR B1

an extra card in a pack, usually showing a person in a funny hat, used in some games.

For teachers: a playing card, typically depicting a jester, used as a wild card or highest-ranking card in various games.

- I won the game because I was lucky enough to draw the joker.
- In this particular variation of poker, the joker functions as a wild card that can represent any suit or value required to complete a hand.

### 3. foolish or annoying person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · British English

a person you think is stupid, annoying, or not serious.

For teachers: a person viewed with contempt or dismissed as incompetent or foolish.

- Some joker parked his car right in front of my driveway.
- The manager was tired of dealing with the jokers in the marketing department who never took the budget constraints seriously.

### 4. hidden advantage

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

something you keep secret until the right time to help you win.

For teachers: a resource or factor kept in reserve that can be used to gain a decisive advantage.

- The lawyer had one last joker to play that would prove his client was innocent.
- The unexpected endorsement from the former prime minister served as the campaign's joker, shifting the polls in the final week of the election.

### 5. military exercise role

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a friendly soldier or vehicle that acts as the enemy during training.

For teachers: a friendly unit designated to act as a suspected hostile force during a military exercise.

- Our squad was assigned to play the joker during the night training mission.
- The exercise was complicated by a joker unit that successfully infiltrated the command centre while the main force was distracted by a simulated air strike.

## Examples

- He is the office joker and always makes us laugh.
- Some joker left a fake spider on my desk, and I nearly jumped out of my chair.
- The manager dismissed the consultant as a joker who had no real understanding of how the manufacturing floor actually operated on a daily basis.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.