half-joking; somewhat joking; in a jocular vein
Describes a statement or manner that is partly serious and partly joking, often with a light, teasing tone. Commonly used as 冗談気味に言う or 冗談気味の口調.
He said half-jokingly, 'I might quit.'
It was a half-joking tone, but I could see a bit of his true feelings.
冗談半分 also means 'half-joking,' but it emphasizes the joking part more strongly, often implying that the other half is serious. 冗談気味 is milder and suggests a light, jocular nuance without a clear 50/50 split.
Compound of 冗談 (joke) and 気味 (slight tendency, -ish). The suffix 気味 adds a nuance of 'a touch of' or 'somewhat,' so the word literally means 'with a touch of joking.'