A joke is something said or done to make people laugh. Jokes work by surprising us: they set up an expectation and then twist it in an unexpected way that strikes us as funny. When someone tells you, “Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side!” they're telling a simple joke that plays with your expectation of a clever answer.

Good jokes require timing and delivery. The same joke can be hilarious when one person tells it and fall flat when another does. Comedians spend years learning how to tell a joke well, knowing exactly when to pause and how to build up to the punchline (the surprise ending that makes people laugh).

People also use joke to mean something not serious or worthy of respect: “That math test was a joke” means it was surprisingly easy, or “Don't make a joke of this” means treat it seriously. When friends joke around, they're teasing each other playfully, not trying to hurt feelings.

An inside joke is a joke that only certain people understand because they share an experience. Jokes bring joy and help people connect.