Jayus
noun /ˈdʒaɪʊs/ — Indonesian: a joke so unfunny it becomes funny.
Definition
A bad joke told with such sincere commitment that the joke's failure itself becomes the source of amusement — the comedy arriving not from wit but from wonderful, earnest miscalculation.
Beyond the definition
You know this feeling. The joke lands with a thud, then everyone stares, then someone snorts — not at the joke but at the fact that the joke was tried. Jayus lives in the gap between intention and result.
Origin & history
Indonesian slang, widely shared in online communities exploring untranslatable words. Captures a specific comedic experience that no single English word covers.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
His entire comedic style was jayus — terrible puns delivered with complete confidence.
The silence after the jayus was louder than the laughter.
She loved his jayus more than his good jokes — the earnestness made it better.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Jayus” when the meaning fits your context: A bad joke told with such sincere commitment that the joke's failure itself becomes the source of amusement — the comedy arriving not from wit but from wonderful, earnest miscalculation.
Synonyms
dad joke, so-bad-it's-good, groan-worthy wit
Antonyms
wit, repartee
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Jayus" mean?
Jayus is noun meaning: Indonesian: a joke so unfunny it becomes funny.. A bad joke told with such sincere commitment that the joke's failure itself becomes the source of amusement — the comedy arriving not from wit but from wonderful, earnest miscalculation.
Where does the word "Jayus" come from?
Indonesian slang, widely shared in online communities exploring untranslatable words. Captures a specific comedic experience that no single English word covers.