Meaning of Groaner | Babel Free

Definitions

1. One who groans or complains.
2. A work of extremely low quality, so bad as to inspire groaning.
   informal
3. A particularly egregious joke, especially a pun.
   informal
4. A whistling buoy.
   slang

Equivalents

Examples

“I don’t need⟳ to hear⟳ from groaners like⟳ you.”

“That movie was a real groaner.”

“Some groaners are converted into running gags, as when Joel and his brother (Max Greenfield) get⟳ in a duel of parting, one-last-thing-before-you-go affirmations.”

“From the cleverest repartee to the worst groaner, people use⟳ and respond⟳ to puns, but sometimes find⟳ them hard to define⟳.”

“In the '40s, I remember⟳ ludicrous puns thought to be funny and repeated by teenagers, sometimes to a chorus of laughter. Here is a groaner example: "Mother, get⟳ off the rafters. That is no way to get⟳ on the beam." Naturally, to understand⟳ the joke, it was necessary to know⟳ the idiom of the day. "Get⟳ on the beam" meant "get⟳ with it" or understand⟳ the situation.”

“"Ever heard a Terry sermon?" Delaine wanted to know⟳. "He usually starts with a joke, almost always a groaner. I love⟳ his puns! Besides, he's not afraid to tackle any issue⟳, and he makes fun of just about everything in sight."”

CEFR level