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gagsomething said or done to make people laugh; a joke

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: something said or done to make people laugh; a joke

Pronunciation (IPA): /ɡæɡ/

Example Sentences

  • My dad's gag about forgetting our anniversary wasn't funny when mom threw the cake at him.
  • The spicy food made him gag so hard that everyone thought he was doing a comedy routine.
  • The movie's running gag about the clumsy waiter had the audience in stitches.

gag

NOUN

[/ɡæɡ/]

something said or done to make people laugh; a joke

Comedian performing a funny gag
💡 Concept

Comedian performing a funny gag

His gag with the flag starts to drag!
🎵 Rhyme

His gag with the flag starts to drag!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ɡæɡ/
🇬🇧 UK/ɡæɡ/

🌳Etymology

Rootgag

Origin

The word 'gag' originated in Middle English during the 14th century, derived from the verb 'gaggen' meaning 'to choke' or 'to strangle.' The term evolved from its literal sense of an instrument that restricts speech or breathing to encompass comic performance and witty remarks.

Breakdown

gaggen (Middle English: to choke, to strangle) → gag. The morphological shift reflects semantic broadening from a physical action (choking) to both the object used to silence (a gag) and later to comedic utterances or tricks.

🎵Rhyme

bagtagflagdragbrag
bag
tag
flag
drag
brag

🔗Collocations

running gag
gag order
practical gag
gag reflex
sight gag
gag writer

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

My dad's gag about forgetting our anniversary wasn't funny when mom threw the cake at him.

😄 Fun example

The spicy food made him gag so hard that everyone thought he was doing a comedy routine.

The movie's running gag about the clumsy waiter had the audience in stitches.

She couldn't help but gag at the smell of her brother's gym socks.

📚Related Words

Synonyms

jokejestprankchokeretch

Antonyms

seriousenablefree

Related

comedyhumorsilencesuppressmuzzle

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