joker
/ˈdʒəʊkə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈdʒəʊkər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈjō-kər/ (ame, mw)
joker — noun
- jokersingular
- jokersplural
1. an extra card in a deck that can stand for different cards, or count as the stro
an extra card in a deck that can stand for different cards, or count as the strongest card, depending on the game's rules.
Daniel saved the joker for the last round and used it as any card.
game use: joker as a wild card
Amira won when the joker became the highest card in that family game.
game use: highest card by rule
The children cheered when one joker let their weak hand beat mine.
In this game, the joker can replace a missing king or queen.
- wild card
emphasizes the replace-any-card role; not every game uses joker as the highest card
用法筆記
Used in card games and similar table games. Depending on the rules, it may replace another card or outrank the rest of the pack.
2. a person who keeps fooling around, making playful remarks, and trying to get a l
a person who keeps fooling around, making playful remarks, and trying to get a laugh from other people.
Christopher is such a joker that even the bus driver laughed at his comment.
pattern: be such a joker that ...
At lunch, Sofia played the joker and turned every complaint into a joke.
pattern: play the joker
Our youngest coach is a joker who keeps the team relaxed before games.
Reema married a joker, so their dinner table is never quiet.
- prankster
suggests someone who plays tricks, not just someone with a lively sense of humor
- wisecracker
focuses on quick funny remarks and can sound slightly sharper
用法筆記
Usually friendly or playful, often describing someone's general personality. If the speaker is irritated by one act, sense 3 is more likely.
3. an informal name for someone who has just done something foolish or irritating a
an informal name for someone who has just done something foolish or irritating and made you lose patience.
Christopher forgot the tickets again, and his sister called him a joker.
pattern: call someone a joker
"You joker, you nearly locked us out of the flat," Amira said.
spoken use: You joker
When Mert spilled paint on the clean floor, the class groaned, "What a joker."
After Daniel hid the remote, Grandpa called him a joker and took it back.
用法筆記
Usually informal and spoken when the person has just done something annoying or silly. It can sound mild or affectionate, but the speaker is showing irritation, unlike sense 2.
4. a person, event, or condition that suddenly changes where a situation seemed to
a person, event, or condition that suddenly changes where a situation seemed to be heading.
The rain was the joker in our picnic plans and sent everyone indoors.
pattern: the joker in ...
A late injury became the joker in the final and changed the whole match.
For investors, a sudden tax change is the joker in this deal.
No one expected the power cut to be the joker in the debate.
用法筆記
Usually used about events, conditions, or people that upset a likely result. Unlike sense 5, it is not about wording inside a document.
5. a small, easily missed word or sentence in a legal or official text that quietly
a small, easily missed word or sentence in a legal or official text that quietly changes what the document really allows or blocks.
The contract had a joker that let the company raise the fee later.
legal use: a joker in a contract
Abigail asked a lawyer to check the bill for any joker before signing it.
One short sentence was the joker in the lease, so the tenants stayed cautious.
The committee removed the joker from the proposal after the reporter spotted it.
用法筆記
Used mainly in legal, political, or contract contexts about wording inside a text. Unlike sense 4, the joker is the clause itself, not a general outside factor.