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the Joker

the Joker

47 5.8
A famous Batman villain or someone who behaves in an unpredictable and funny way
  • proper noun
translation icon : Guasón
  • [Smith]: In The Dark Knight, you are presented the Joker, who is a different Joker than we've ever seen before.
  • Batman and the Joker
  • villains like the Joker
  • the Joker in Arkham

And I mean, I guess Joaquin's playing the Joker, but Wendy's the one that's clowning.

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Examples

  • Our police have rounded up all of the Joker's men.

  • My favorite of all is when the Joker plays chicken with the Batcycle on the streets of Gotham.

    Blog text (6)
  • First of all, it's a play on the Joker's "Why So Serious?" in the Dark Knight movie.

    Blog text (17)
  • Batman has a history of being especially on edge around the Joker.

    Blog text (6)
  • In that last movie with the Joker, where he dressed up as the nurse and went after Harvey.

    Blog text (4)
  • With just a little makeup and green hair, you could fill the role of the Joker from Batman!

    Blog text (12)
  • I'll quote the Joker: If you're good at something, never do it for free.

    Blog text (10)
  • In the latest film, the Joker delivered some of the most memorable lines as he faced Batman.

  • Children laughed as the clown at the party acted like the Joker, showcasing his silly antics.

  • The Joker's bright purple suit and manic laughter make him one of comic history's most iconic villains.

Synonyms

clown
vsthe Joker
372 1.0

A performer who wears bright clothes and makes people laugh

is a more general unpredictable or humorous person not limited to costume
comic
vsthe Joker
145 2.5

A person who tells jokes to make people laugh

can mean an ordinary person being unpredictable or funny rather than a professional
joker
vsthe Joker
35 2.4

A person who likes to tell jokes and make others laugh

is also a notorious fictional villain and Batman's enemy
practical joker
vsthe Joker
4 3.9

A person who plays funny tricks on other people

is about general unpredictable or humorous behaviour rather than pranks
joker of the group
vsthe Joker
3.1

A person in a group who often makes others laugh with funny stories or actions

is used more broadly for individuals beyond just group settings

Surface Forms

the Joker main

Morphology

the + joker

The constituents 'the' + 'joker' transparently yield the literal idea of a person who tells jokes, so a B1 learner who knows those words could infer a humorous or unpredictable person. However, the specific referent—the famous DC Comics supervillain named 'The Joker'—is a culturally specific proper name and cannot be derived from the constituent meanings alone, making the full, encyclopedic sense opaque without prior exposure.

Etymology

The Joker comes from the image of the joker playing card, a 'wild card' that can change the game. The comic's clown-like 'villain' uses tricks and chaos, so calling someone The Joker means they behave oddly, play tricks, or are 'unpredictable'.