German word

Gag

Pronunciation

IPA/gɛk/

Meaning

  • masculine nounjoke

Example

Seine Gags sind oft sehr kurz.

His jokes are often very short.

Illustration for Gag (joke)

More examples

Er begann die Rede mit einem Gag.

He began the speech with a gag.

Core concept

A brief, unexpected line or action lands as a small burst of laughter.

Common phrases

  • einen Gag bringen

    deliver a gag

  • mit einem Gag eröffnen

    open with a gag

  • Der Gag des Abends

    the gag of the evening

Similar words

Witz: A fully formed joke with a setup and a humorous ending.
Scherz: A joking remark or playful act not meant to be taken seriously.
Pointe: The closing line that delivers the laugh in a joke or story.

Definition in German

kurze, oft überraschende Äußerung oder Einfall, der Zuhörer zum Lachen bringen soll.

Word origin

German Gag is borrowed from English gag, which developed as a theatrical term for a joke or comic bit.

Usage tips

  • Gag is masculine in German: der Gag, with the plural die Gags.

Other meanings

  • gagnoun
  • comic routinenoun

Opposites

  • Ernsthaftigkeitseriousnessnoun
  • Sachlichkeitobjectivitynoun

Related words

  • Gagsammlungcollection of gagsnoun
  • gagreichgag-filledadjective

Word lists with this word