Meaning & use
inside jokes
Last updated
UK/ˌɪnsaɪd ˈdʒəʊks/
US/ˌɪnsaɪd ˈdʒoʊks/
“inside jokes” is a form of “inside joke”.
Meaning
nounplural
Jokes that only a particular group of people understand, because they depend on shared experiences.
Grammar: Plural of inside joke: share inside jokes.
Patterns
- inside jokes between people
- share inside jokes
The two friends laughed over inside jokes nobody else understood.
Our team has dozens of inside jokes from that road trip.
Couples often develop inside jokes.
Common combinations
- share inside jokes
- The twins share inside jokes.
- full of inside jokes
- The group chat is full of inside jokes.
- old inside jokes
- They kept bringing up old inside jokes.
- laugh at inside jokes
- We laughed at inside jokes all evening.
- inside jokes between friends
- Inside jokes between friends build closeness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- in-jokes
- In-jokes is the more British and slightly shorter form of the same idea.
- private jokes
- Private jokes stresses that only a few people know them.
- running gags
- Running gags are jokes repeated in a show or story, not necessarily shared by friends.
Word family
- inside joke noun
- One such joke.
- insider noun
- A person who belongs to a group and knows its secrets.
Commonly confused: inside jokes or insight?
inside jokes vs insight
Insight is deep understanding, which is not related to a shared joke.
Practice
Why might a newcomer fail to laugh at the team's inside jokes?
Choose one answer.
Inside jokes depend on shared background. The other reasons do not explain it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inside jokes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.