jape

1 of 2

verb

ˈjāp

japed; japing

intransitive verb

: to say or do something jokingly or mockingly

transitive verb

: to make mocking fun of

japer

ˈjā-pər

noun

japery

ˈjā-p(ə-)rē How to pronounce jape (audio)

noun

jape

2 of 2

noun

: something designed to arouse amusement or laughter: such as

: gibe

: an amusing literary or dramatic production

a jape that would be okay as a sophomore class play

John Simon

Did you know?

Jape mysteriously appeared in the English language during the 14th century and was adopted by literary folks, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, as a word meaning both "to trick" and "to jeer." It was also used, however, with the meanings "to seduce (someone)" or "to have sexual intercourse." This ambiguity forced writers to think twice about using "jape" in fear of misinterpretation. Ultimately, the word was avoided by respectable writers, and by the end of the 16th century it had fallen into disuse. But this four-letter word was not completely forgotten. It got its second chance when 19th-century writers began using its "jeer" meaning again - leaving its carnal meaning in oblivion.

Example Sentences

Verb the characters in Oscar Wilde's plays jape with a readiness and sophistication that is rarely, if ever, encountered in real life Noun by the standards of today's no-holds-barred satire, Will Rogers' homespun japes about politicians seem awfully gentle

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Director Aaron Posner’s organizing notion proves far better suited to a short skit than a full 150 minutes of expository twists — and antiquated japes.

Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2020 The coffee table part is a funny jape about the design’s similarity to a piece of midcentury furniture, an undulating shape raised on legs; but the kunsthalle part is more telling.

Christopher Knight, latimes.com, 9 July 2019 Local guffaw nuts can hit up the annual jape show that is the Orlando Comedy Festival (6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday, Hilton Garden Inn at SeaWorld, 6850 Westwood Blvd. in Orlando, $20-$35, orlandocomedyfestival.com).

Trevor Fraser, orlandosentinel.com, 19 June 2019 Bankruptcy jape Elon Musk sought to lighten the mood after one of the worst weeks for Tesla Inc. in its 15-year history with a series of April Fool’s Day tweets about bankruptcy.

Bloomberg.com, 2 Apr. 2018 The latter was a jape; the former was a cautionary howl.

Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Mar. 2018

单词	jape
释义	jape 1 of 2 verb ˈjāp japed; japing intransitive verb : to say or do something jokingly or mockingly transitive verb : to make mocking fun of japer ˈjā-pər noun japery ˈjā-p(ə-)rē noun jape 2 of 2 noun : something designed to arouse amusement or laughter: such as a : gibe b : an amusing literary or dramatic production a jape that would be okay as a sophomore class play John Simon Did you know? Jape mysteriously appeared in the English language during the 14th century and was adopted by literary folks, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, as a word meaning both "to trick" and "to jeer." It was also used, however, with the meanings "to seduce (someone)" or "to have sexual intercourse." This ambiguity forced writers to think twice about using "jape" in fear of misinterpretation. Ultimately, the word was avoided by respectable writers, and by the end of the 16th century it had fallen into disuse. But this four-letter word was not completely forgotten. It got its second chance when 19th-century writers began using its "jeer" meaning again - leaving its carnal meaning in oblivion. Synonyms Verb banter chaff fool fun gag jest jive joke jolly josh kid quip wisecrack yuk [slang] yuck Noun boff boffo boffola crack drollery funny gag giggle [chiefly British] jest joke josh laugh nifty one-liner pleasantry quip rib sally waggery wisecrack witticism yuk [slang] yuck yak yock See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Verb the characters in Oscar Wilde's plays jape with a readiness and sophistication that is rarely, if ever, encountered in real life Noun by the standards of today's no-holds-barred satire, Will Rogers' homespun japes about politicians seem awfully gentle Recent Examples on the Web Noun Director Aaron Posner’s organizing notion proves far better suited to a short skit than a full 150 minutes of expository twists — and antiquated japes. Peter Marks, Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2020 The coffee table part is a funny jape about the design’s similarity to a piece of midcentury furniture, an undulating shape raised on legs; but the kunsthalle part is more telling. Christopher Knight, latimes.com, 9 July 2019 Local guffaw nuts can hit up the annual jape show that is the Orlando Comedy Festival (6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday, Hilton Garden Inn at SeaWorld, 6850 Westwood Blvd. in Orlando, $20-$35, orlandocomedyfestival.com). Trevor Fraser, orlandosentinel.com, 19 June 2019 Bankruptcy jape Elon Musk sought to lighten the mood after one of the worst weeks for Tesla Inc. in its 15-year history with a series of April Fool’s Day tweets about bankruptcy. Bloomberg.com, 2 Apr. 2018 The latter was a jape; the former was a cautionary howl. Peter Rainer, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Mar. 2018 Word History Etymology Verb Middle English First Known Use Verb 14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense Noun 14th century, in the meaning defined above jape 1 of 2 noun as in joke something said or done to cause laughter by the standards of today's no-holds-barred satire, Will Rogers' homespun japes about politicians seem awfully gentle Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance joke laugh joking witticism giggle gag funny drollery quip jest wisecrack pleasantry waggery boffo prank sally josh yak rib one-liner boff yuk parody yuck nifty scream humorousness caper crack comedy buffoonery funning yock trick antic riot banter raillery humor leg-pull wisecracking persiflage mock boffola burlesque lampoon knee-slapper riff repartee mockery facetiousness wordplay caricature panic practical joke kidding funniness wit drollness put-on monkeyshine(s) hilariousness thigh-slapper jape 2 of 2 verb as in to joke to make jokes the characters in Oscar Wilde's plays jape with a readiness and sophistication that is rarely, if ever, encountered in real life Synonyms & Similar Words joke jest jolly fun banter quip fool wisecrack kid gag josh yuck yuk jibe parody jive chaff amuse ridicule jeer gibe tease rag mock caricature rib crack wise haze lampoon razz entertain satirize rally divert
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jape

verb

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

noun

verb