gag — something 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

His gag with the flag starts to drag!
Got the picture? Now let's practice.
🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
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
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“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.”
“She couldn't help but gag at the smell of her brother's gym socks.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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