This is the 12038th most frequent Korean word.
농담
Joke.
In this context, '농담' is used to differentiate between serious and humorous intent, emphasizing that the speaker is being earnest.
이건 농담이 아니니 진지하게 들어주세요.
This is not a joke, so please take it seriously.
In this sentence, '농담' is used as a noun to refer to 'jokes' or 'humorous remarks' that someone makes.
그는 농담으로 자주 분위기를 풀어줍니다.
He often eases the mood with jokes.
Here, '농담' again acts as a noun, indicating the interpretation of someone's words as humorous rather than serious.