poke fun

verb

To subject someone to laughter or ridicule.

Similar
make fun ofridiculeroastguyblackguardlaugh atjest atrib
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Meanings

verbpoke fun (third-person singular simple present pokes fun, present participle poking fun, simple past and past participle poked fun)

present singular third person pokes fun · participle present poking fun · participle past poked fun · past poked fun

  1. To subject someone to laughter or ridicule.

    Trot laughed, but Cap'n Bill thought the little man was poking fun at him and so he scowled upon Pessim in a way that showed he was angry.

    1915, L. Frank Baum, chapter 5, in The Scarecrow of Oz

    Synonyms: make fun of

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo subject someone to laughter or ridicule.

Similar
make fun of

More synonyms by meaning

verbsubject to laughter or ridicule

Similar
ridiculeroastguyblackguardlaugh atjest atribmake fun of
Broader
mockbemock
Also see
blackguardguylaugh atmake fun ofribridiculeroast

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Czech vysmát se, vysmívat se
  • vysmát seto subject to laughter
  • vysmívat seto subject to laughter
  • vystavit výsměchuto subject to laughter
Dutch belachelijk maken, bespotten
  • belachelijk makento subject to laughter
  • bespottento subject to laughter
Finnish tehdä pilkkaa
  • tehdä pilkkaato subject to laughter
French faire la nique
  • faire la niqueto subject to laughter
Hungarian kigúnyol, gúnyol
  • kigúnyolto subject to laughter
  • gúnyolto subject to laughter
  • gúnyolódikto subject to laughter
  • tréfát űzto subject to laughter
Irish bí ag magadh faoi, bí ag piocadh ar
  • bí ag magadh faoito subject to laughter
  • bí ag piocadh arto subject to laughter
  • bí ag spochadh asto subject to laughter
Italian ridicolizzare
  • ridicolizzareto subject to laughter
Māori pāengaenga
  • pāengaengato subject to laughter
Polish wyśmiewać się, wyśmiać się
  • wyśmiewać sięto subject to laughter
  • wyśmiać sięto subject to laughter
  • wyśmiewaćto subject to laughter
  • wyśmiaćto subject to laughter
  • naśmiewać sięto subject to laughter
  • nabijać sięto subject to laughter
Spanish ridiculizar, burlarse
  • ridiculizarto subject to laughter
  • burlarseto subject to laughter
  • mofarseto subject to laughter
  • pitorrearseto subject to laughter
  • chotearseto subject to laughter
Cite this entry
APA

poke fun. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poke%20fun

MLA

“poke fun.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poke%20fun. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “poke fun,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/poke%20fun.

Source: poke fun on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.