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just joking

just joking

13 3.7
Said to show something is funny and not serious
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : es broma
  • I'm just joking with you.
  • just joking around
  • say, "just joking"
  • No, I'm just joking

All right, So I know that sometimes this is just a phrase that said in jazz, you're just joking, you're being playful.

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Examples

Synonyms

jokingly
vsjust joking
27 2.0

Said or done as a joke and not meant seriously

is used to say that a previous remark was meant to be playful not serious
in jest
vsjust joking
  • Informal
9 6.6

In a joking way not meant to be taken seriously

is used to say that what was said was meant playfully not seriously
jokey
vsjust joking
  • Informal
6 3.9

Said or done to be funny rather than serious

is used to say a previous comment was meant playfully rather than serious
in fun
vsjust joking
  • Informal
5 5.3

People say it as a joke and do not mean it seriously

is used to say that what was said was meant playfully not seriously
humorously
vsjust joking
5 3.3

In a funny way that makes people laugh

is used to say that a previous remark was meant playfully not seriously
facetiously
vsjust joking
3 8.1

In a joking way that is not meant to be taken seriously

is used to state a previous remark was meant playfully without sarcasm
tongue-in-cheek
vsjust joking
  • Informal
2 6.8

Joking and not meant to be taken seriously

is used to say a remark was made playfully without an ironic or critical intent
joking
vsjust joking
2 1.2

Meant to be funny, not serious

is used to say that what was said was meant playfully not seriously
psych
vsjust joking
  • Slang
1 9.9

Said to show a previous statement was a joke

is used to say that a previous remark was meant to be playful not serious
kiddingly
vsjust joking
1 3.6

To say or do something in a joking way without being serious

is used to say that a previous remark was meant playfully not serious
jocularly
vsjust joking
1 7.1

In a joking way to make people laugh

is used to say that what was said was meant playfully not seriously
all in jest
vsjust joking
6.7

Said or done as a joke and not meant to be serious

is used to say that a previous remark was meant to be playful not serious
jestingly
vsjust joking
6.4

In a joking way that is not serious

is used to say that a previous remark was meant to be playful not serious

Antonyms

1.6

In a way that shows you mean what you say

How Serious

serious
452 1.4
just joking
  • Informal
13 3.7
kiddingly
1 3.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

just + joking

The sense 'used to say that what was said was meant humorously and not seriously' is directly and transparently derived from 'just' (merely/only) combined with 'joking' (being humorous). This limiting + participial construction is a straightforward compositional pattern found across languages and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.

Etymology

Just joking comes from the simple image of someone saying something sharp, then adding just and joking with a smile to show it was a joke. So, it tells people you were 'not serious'.