A short, often physical or visual joke, common in comedy routines, manga, and casual conversation. Can also refer to a running gag or a comedic bit.
彼のギャグはいつも滑る。
His jokes always fall flat.
He always tells weird jokes.
That comedian is famous for his one-liner gags.
そのギャグは意外と受けた。
That joke got a surprising number of laughs.
The teacher cracked a joke during class.
He turned his mistake into a joke and made everyone laugh.
ギャグ is a punchy comedic gag, often performative, while 小ネタ can be a subtler or more casual joke dropped into conversation.
gagman; gag man
short joke; quick one-liner; one-shot gag
dad joke; corny joke; bad pun
Loanword from English 'gag'.