playful jab
1
4.6
- noun
- /ˈpleɪfəl dʒæb/
- Informal
:
broma juguetona
- He often uses playful jabs to lighten the mood in serious conversations.
- take a playful jab
Examples
-
They talk about moving in together, take a few playful jabs at Danny Brown, and they even let the fans know of their upcoming tour.
Blog text (5) -
During the meeting, her playful jab at his old jokes had everyone laughing.
-
Their playful jabs at each other's fashion choices are all in good fun.
Synonyms
42
4.1
Friendly, playful talk that teases people lightly
23
4.2
A playful remark meant to make people laugh
21
1.7
Light, joking words said to make people laugh
5
4.4
A friendly joke that tries to make someone laugh without hurting them
1
9.9
Light playful teasing talk that is not serious
1
8.8
Light teasing that is friendly and not meant to hurt
1
6.5
An act that teases or tricks someone as a joke
Playful friendly talk that makes people laugh without hurting anyone
A joke people who know each other well say to tease without meaning harm
Light joking talk between people to make each other laugh
A quick, funny talk where people tease each other playfully
A quick, clever comment that is slightly cheeky
Antonyms
How Playful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'playful' (lighthearted) plus 'jab' (a quick poke) yields a figurative sense of a verbal 'poke' or teasing remark; the overall meaning is a predictable metaphorical extension rather than a literal composition. Because understanding requires recognizing the metaphorical use of 'jab' as a verbal tease, it is only partially transparent to learners who know the component words.
Etymology
Playful jab comes from the image of a quick, harmless poke: playful means fun and jab means a short, light punch or poke. So a 'playful jab' is a teasing remark said in fun, not meant to hurt.