joke around
A2 informal intransitive
In simple words
To say funny things and not be serious.
Meanings
1 A2 informal
To be playful and make jokes, especially in a relaxed, casual situation.
"The friends spent the evening joking around and laughing at old stories."
2 A2 informal
To not be serious about something important; to treat something as a joke.
"This is a serious matter — I'm not joking around."
Usage notes
Very common in everyday spoken English. Often used in negative contexts ('stop joking around') or to clarify seriousness ('I'm not joking around'). Suitable for all ages and informal settings.
Commonly used with
stop quit just always friends office
Forms
Base
joke around
I/you/we/they
3rd person
jokes around
he/she/it
Past simple
joked around
yesterday
Past participle
joked around
have + pp
-ing form
joking around
continuous
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