What does "joker" mean?
A person who makes jokes.
Joker
/ˈd͡ʒəʊkə/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who makes jokes.
- Grammar: joker is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: comic, humorist, jokester, wag.
- Useful contrasts: hero, killjoy, protagonist.
- Usage evidence: No practical joker should be without a whoopee cushion.
How to use "joker"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "joker" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "joker" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "joker" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "joker" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "joker" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "comic" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "joker", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who makes jokes.
- 2 a playing card that is usually printed with a picture of a jester wordnet
- 3 A funny person. slang
- 4 an inconspicuous clause in a document or bill that affects its meaning in a way that is not immediately apparent wordnet
- 5 A jester.
Show 11 more definitions
- 6 a person who enjoys telling or playing jokes wordnet
- 7 A playing card that features a picture of a joker (that is, a jester) and that may be used as a wild card in some card games.
- 8 a person who does something thoughtless or annoying wordnet
- 9 Something kept in reserve that can be used to gain an advantage; a trump card. figuratively
"Rebus decided to use their joker. 'Mr Lintz made a phone call to this office. He was talking for over twenty minutes.'"
- 10 An unspecified, vaguely disreputable person.
"Some joker keeps throwing eggs at my windows."
- 11 An unspecified, vaguely disreputable person.; A loser.
"Don't waste your breath on these jokers round here."
- 12 A man. New-Zealand, colloquial
- 13 A clause in a contract that undermines its apparent provisions.
"Discussion of contracts and the many provisions contained therein led to a vote making it the sense of the convention that manufacturers should use a simple sales contract, free from jokers."
- 14 A friendly unit that acts as a suspected hostile unit in a military excercise.
"Joker - A friendly track or contact acting as a "suspect" track for exercise purposes only. (STANAG 1241)"
- 15 The option, in a pub quiz, of selecting one particular round in which one's team will score double points.
"We used our joker as soon as the topic of sports was announced, since we are sport experts."
- 16 A fairy chess piece that moves like the last piece that was moved by the opponent.
"The problem is that it would be difficult to use a joker offensively since you could never know how it was going to move, meaning it’d be most useful setting it up for potential queen/rook captures to disincentivize your opponent from moving those pieces."
Proper Noun
- 1 A fictional villain of DC Comics, noted for his insanity and cunning, who either wears clown makeup or is disfigured to appear as such, and who is archenemy of Batman.
"...grinning like the Joker, Batman's nemesis, a character described in the story as being a favorite of Douglas's."
Antonyms
Example
"No practical joker should be without a whoopee cushion."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "joker"?
Common synonyms include: comic, humorist, jokester, wag, ace, actor.
How do you use "joker" in a sentence?
No practical joker should be without a whoopee cushion.
How do you pronounce "joker"?
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒəʊkə/.
Etymology
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.