Poke is a word with several meanings. It can mean to jab or prod something, to stir something by pushing at it, or to meddleinterfere in someone else’s affairs without being asked in other people’s business. It also has less common nouna word that names a person, place, thing, or idea senses, including a blow, a gesture, and other unrelatednot connected in meaning or origin meanings.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Pronunciation

AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).

Accent: General American English

IPA: /poʊk/

Easy pronunciation: POKE (approximate spelling).

Stress: One syllable, stressed on the full word.

Verb meaning to poke or thrust abruptly.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Poke Meaning

to push or jab something suddenly with a finger, tool, or similar object

Part of speech: verb

Definition: poke or thrust abruptly

Example: She poked him in the ribs to get his attention.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• jab — Works well for a quick, sudden poke.
• prod — A natural substitute when you mean pushing or nudging something.
• dig — Can fit in some contexts, though it is less precise than jab or prod.
• stab — Works only when the action is sharper or more forceful.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Other Meanings of Poke

Meaning 2

to pry into something that is not your business

Part of speech: verb

Definition: search or inquire in a meddlesome way

Example: Stop poking into my private messages.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• nose — Common in the sense of nosing around or poking into something.
• pry — A strong, direct match for meddlesome curiosity.
• intrude — Fits when someone interferes or gets involved where they are not wanted.
• horn in — Works, but it is more informal and usually implies unwanted involvement.

Meaning 3

to move or mix something by prodding it

Part of speech: verb

Definition: stir by poking

Example: He poked the fire to make it burn brighter.

Meaning 4

to create a hole by pushing something into it

Part of speech: verb

Definition: make a hole by poking

Example: She poked a hole in the lid with a pen.

Meaning 5

to strike something hard

Part of speech: verb

Definition: hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument

Example: He poked the bag with his fist.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• pound — A strong substitute for hitting hard.
• thump — Works well for a heavy blow.

Meaning 6

a slow person who falls behind others

Part of speech: noun

Definition: someone who takes more time than necessary; someone who lags behind

Example: He’s a real poke when we’re trying to leave on time.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• dawdler — A direct match for someone who moves or works slowly.
• drone — Can fit, but it often suggests dullness as well as slowness.
• laggard — A good formal synonym for someone who lags behind.
• lagger — Less common, but still fits the sense of falling behind.
• trailer — Can work when someone is the one who comes last.

Meaning 7

a shopping bag

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases

Example: The cashier placed the items in a paper poke.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• carrier bag — A real synonym in British English.
• paper bag — Works when the bag is made of paper.
• sack — Can mean a bag, but it is broader and less specific.

Meaning 8

a punch in boxing

Part of speech: noun

Definition: (boxing) a blow with the fist

Example: He landed a quick poke to the body.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• biff — An informal word for a blow.
• clout — Can mean a hard hit, though it is broader in use.
• lick — Can mean a blow in some informal usage, but it is less direct.
• punch — The clearest everyday match in a boxing context.
• slug — A good informal word for a hard punch.

Meaning 9

a quick jabbing motion of the hand

Part of speech: noun

Definition: a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)

Example: He made a little poke at the air to emphasize his point.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• jab — Matches the quick thrusting motion.
• thrust — Works for a sudden pushing motion.
• jabbing — More like the action than a noun, but it reflects the sense.
• poking — Likewise more of an action form than a true noun synonym.
• thrusting — Action-based, but related to the same gesture.

Meaning 10

a plant called pokeweed

Part of speech: noun

Definition: tall coarse perennial American herb having small white flowers followed by blackish-red berries on long drooping racemes; young fleshy stems are edible; berries and root are poisonous

Example: Pokeweed grows wild along the edge of the woods.

Synonyms for this meaning:

• garget — A traditional name for the plant.
• phytolacca americana — The scientific name of pokeweed.
• pigeon berry — A common alternate name for the plant.
• scoke — A regional or less common name.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Poke Synonyms

Similar Meaning

• jab
• prod
• pry

to search or inquire in a meddlesome way

• nose
• intrude
• horn in

to hit hard

• pound
• thump

a slow person who lags behind

• dawdler
• laggard

a shopping bag

• carrier bag
• paper bag

a boxing blow

• punch
• slug

a quick jabbing hand gesture

• jab
• thrust

the plant pokeweed

• garget
• phytolacca americana
• pigeon berry

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Common Mistakes

• Do not confuse poke meaning 'prod or jab' with pokeweed, the plant.
• Do not mix the boxing noun sense with the verb sense meaning 'to prod.'
• Do not assume every 'poke' synonym works in all senses; the word has several distinct meanings.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common meaning of poke?

The most common everyday meaning is to jab or prod something quickly.

Is poke the same as prod?

Often yes, especially when you mean a quick push or jab at something.

What is poke in boxing?

In boxing, a poke can mean a blow or punch with the fist.

Can poke mean to meddle?

Yes. It can mean to pry into other people’s business or ask intrusive questions.

Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-11-03. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.