Meaning of no joke | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Something that should be taken seriously; not something that should be laughed about.
2. Something that is unusually difficult or painful.
   informal

Equivalents

Examples

“But, sir, it is not a farce to the Canadian people; it is no joke to the Canadian tax-payer. If it is either a farce or a joke, they must foot the bill. No , it is no joke to them; it is something else, and something a great deal worse .”

“Treason-felony, we repeat, is no joke; but then no more is penal servitude for nine years.”

“Incompetence was no joke when ( other ) people got killed by incompetence. It was no joke when the children, growing old enough, really did go away to war; and not much of a joke when soldiers who were little more than children came out to join in that War.”

“In addition, Papa was no doubt influenced by his obsession that life is hard, is meant to be hard, and is no joke at all.”

“There was no joke about it whatsoever. That pregnancy was not an easy one.”

“It was no joke. And yes, I did survive, but I became very ill in November due to all the stress and had to take five days off.”

“That race was no joke.”

CEFR level