Jokey means not serious, in a way that tries to make people smile or laugh. A jokey comment is a light little joke. A jokey present might be a funny mug, not a gift you would keep for years. The word feels informal: you hear it in speech and easy writing more than in careful essays. Though actually, jokey is not quite the same as funny. Funny means people really laugh. Jokey means the tone is joke-like — sometimes it works, and sometimes it feels a bit cheap or try-hard, like a jokey advert that wants to be your friend. A jokey manner can also keep a hard feeling at arm’s length. Older, more careful writing might say jocular; everyday speech says jokey or joking. You may also see the spelling joky, with no e; jokey is the one you will see more. It describes a tone or a thing, not a person whose job is jokes — that person is a joker.