Words of Positivity
Browse the A to Z index4,633 ENTRIES

Yock

n.joyful, energeticplayful

What it means

A loud, hearty laugh or a joke that provokes one.

Reach for it when using rare informal language for robust comic response

His perfect imitation earned a warm yock from the cast.

Choose between these

7
  • playful

    belly laugh

    when full-bodied laughter deserves a vivid phrase

    not when The phrase emphasizes physical force and not the joke itself.

  • playful

    wisecrack

    when a sharp verbal joke creates the laugh

    not when Wisecracks can be cutting and are only one route to hearty laughter.

  • everyday

    laugh

    when the general human response is enough

    not when Laugh covers everything from a quiet breath to a roar.

  • warm

    chuckle

    when low, contained amusement better fits the scene

    not when A chuckle is much quieter than the hearty laugh named by yock.

  • professional

    comic payoff

    when structure explains why an audience laughs

    not when This critical phrase lacks the spontaneous sound of yock.

  • professional

    gag

    when the crafted comic device rather than the response is meant

    not when A gag may fail to produce any yock.

  • literary

    guffaw

    when loud unrestrained laughter is the exact sound

    not when A guffaw can seem coarse or mocking where a yock is companionable.

Said against

3
  • silence
  • sob
  • solemnity

It naturally appears in

3
  • big yock

    The harmless mix-up gave everyone a big yock.

  • get a yock

    The actor can get a yock without humiliating a volunteer.

  • warm yock

    A warm yock rolled through the cast after the improvised line.

Where this comes from

Yock is rare slang and may be confused with yuck or the surname Yock.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.