A loanword from English, used for a humorous story, remark, or prank. Often implies a lighthearted, witty, or playful tone.
彼はいつも面白いジョークを言う。
He always tells funny jokes.
He always tells a joke before meetings to lighten the mood.
それはただのジョークだから、気にしないで。
It was just a joke, so don't take it seriously.
The teacher often cracks jokes during class.
When cultures differ, a joke sometimes doesn't land.
He turned his failure into a joke and made everyone laugh.
洒落 specifically means a pun or wordplay, whereas ジョーク covers any humorous remark or story, not just wordplay.
practical joke device; novelty joke item
nice joke; good joke
black joke; black comedy; morbid humor
American joke; American sense of humor
jaw crusher
Borrowed from English 'joke'.