A somewhat literary or formal word for a playful or witty remark; less common in casual speech than 冗談.
His words are nothing more than a joke.
Standard modern kanji spelling.
Outdated kanji form; 戲 is the kyūjitai of 戯.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 戯 (play, frolic) and 言 (word) combine to suggest playful speech.