180 Hilarious 40th Birthday Messages, Quotes & Jokes

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Celebrate the big 4-0 with these funny birthday jokes

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: May 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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Funny 40th Birthday Wishes

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For Partner

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For Her

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For Him

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For You

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Quotes

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Ways to Celebrate

Turning 40 is a big milestone. Some people embrace it as an empowering age when they finally come into their own, while others have a hard time accepting that they’re not as young as they used to be. Whether you’re celebrating someone who’s turning 40, or you want a clever response for your own 40th birthday, we’ve got you covered with these funny 40th birthday jokes!

Funniest 40th Birthday Messages

Remember, life begins at 40, so you’ve still got plenty of mistakes to make.
40? You’re just getting started! Well, maybe after a nap and some ibuprofen.
Hey, at least you’re not as old as you’ll be next year.
You know you’re 40 when you hear your favorite song on in an elevator. Happy birthday!
Being 40 is wild. I never thought I’d get excited about organizing my sock drawer.

Section 1 of 7:

Funny 40th Birthday Wishes

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1
“You’re still young.” 40 is the new 30—or at least, that’s what anyone who’s 40 wants to think. Some people take this birthday a little harder than others. If you think your loved one could use a little cheering up, try these funny birthday wishes that focus on the positive:
- Your 40s are great because you’re old enough to learn from your mistakes—but you’re still young enough to make new ones! Happy birthday!^{[1]
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- The first 40 years of childhood are the hardest. Here’s to the next 40!
- Remember, life begins at 40, so you’ve still got plenty of mistakes to make.
- Remember, being 40 is just like being 20, but with double the experience (and double the wrinkles).^{[2]
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- Happy 40th! You’ve finally lost your last excuse for being irresponsible!
- 40? You’re just getting started! Well, maybe after a nap and some ibuprofen.^{[3]
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- Happy 30th birthday for the 10th time!^{[4]
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- Hey, 40 isn’t old if you’re a tree. Happy birthday!
- You’re not 40, you’re 25 plus shipping and handling! ^{[5]
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- Remember, 40 is only 11 in Celsius! Happy birthday!
- Welcome to the 40s Club, where we still feel 18 inside … unless we actually try to act like it.
- Welcome to your 40s! We’re still rocking—just a little slower so we don’t pull something.
- Turning 40 is a great excuse to embrace your inner child—just remind them to pay the bills.
- Happy 40th birthday—you’re too old to stay out late and too young for a senior discount. Enjoy!
- Age is just a number—and being 40 means you’re level 4.0.
2
“It’s all downhill from here.” Okay, turning 40 isn’t really that bad—but it sure is funny to joke about, especially if you’re celebrating with someone who has a dry sense of humor. These jokes make light of getting older, which might just help take some of the sting out of this milestone birthday.
- Now that you’re 40, you’ll find yourself cleaning the house to the music we used to drink to.^{[6]
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- Congrats on the big four-oh. Does saying it like that make it less scary?
- Hey, at least you’re not as old as you’ll be next year.
- Congratulations, you’re now old enough for a midlife crisis.
- Try not to think of it as turning 40. Just think of it as being really old.
- So you’re turning 40. Time for wildly tame celebrations that are over by 10 PM.
- You may not be over the hill yet, but you have a great view! Happy 40th!^{[7]
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- Happy 40th birthday! I’ve never been more grateful to be so much younger than you.
- Congratulations on reaching the age where the candles cost more than the cake!
- The secret to being 40 is to lie about your age to everyone you meet!
- Turning 40 means you and your friends can start comparing herbal teas.
- Welcome to being 40! They say age is just a number, but in your case, it’s a really big one!
- Happy 40th birthday! They say age is just a number, but if that’s true, why do I need a calculator to figure yours out?^{[8]
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- 40 is when the phone rings on a Saturday night and you hope it isn’t for you. Happy birthday!^{[9]
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- You know you’re 40 when a wild night means sitting out on the patio. Happy birthday!^{[10]
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- Happy birthday! Now that you’re 40, you’ll still get carded, but now it’s to see if you qualify for the senior discount.
- Happy 40th! You’ve officially reached the age where your mind makes commitments your body can’t keep.
- Welcome to being 40! Now all your favorite songs are oldies.^{[11]
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- What do you call a 40-year-old who can still party all night? A liar! Happy birthday!^{[12]
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- Welcome to your 40s, when grocery shopping alone feels like a mini vacation. Happy birthday!
- Happy 40th birthday! I’m not saying you’re old, but your birth certificate is carbon dated.
- You know you’re 40 when you have a party and the neighbors don’t notice. Happy birthday!
- If grey hair is a sign of wisdom, you’re a genius! Happy birthday.
- Congratulations on turning 40! Time to start buying cereal for the fiber content.
- Turning 40 means it’s time to start questioning some of your life choices—like those shots last night.
- Welcome to being 40, when “taking it easy” isn’t a choice, it’s a prescription.
- Now that you’re 40, half your friends are feeling old … and the other half are lying.
- Happy 40th birthday! You’re officially halfway between diapers and depends.
- Happy 40th birthday. In dog years, you’re dead.
- You know what the best part is about old age? It doesn’t last long. Happy birthday!
- Welcome to your 40s, where you need 3 days to recover from anything you do.
- You know you’re 40 when you hear your favorite song come on in an elevator. Happy birthday!
- Don’t worry if your eyesight starts failing now that you’re 40. It’s your body’s way of protecting you from shock when you look in the mirror.
- Welcome to being 40, where your birthday cake starts to look like a mini bonfire!
- 40—the age where you and your friends complain about the neighborhood kids! Happy birthday!
- Just remember, turning 40 means you’re obligated to complain about today’s music.
- Now that you’re 40, “getting lucky” means finding your car in the parking lot on the first try.
- Turning 40 means aging like a fine wine—if fine wine sometimes forgets why it came into a room.
- Welcome to being 40, where “sleeping in” means waking up at 7 AM on weekends. Happy birthday!
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“Turning 40 is the least of your problems.” Age might be just a number, but middle age can come with a variety of ailments. From the need for naps to creaky knees, these jokes are geared to help your birthday buddy embrace this stage of life with a sense of humor, especially if they have a darker sense of humor.
- They say maturity comes with age, but you’re 40 and still making the same bad choices.
- Don’t let being 40 get you down. It’s too hard to get back up again.
- Happy 40th! For your sake, let’s hope things get better with age.^{[13]
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- Being 40 means your back goes out more than you do. Happy birthday!
- Turning 40 means realizing your body has started to make sound effects.
- Welcome to 40. Now you and gravity are sworn frenemies.
- Happy 40th birthday! You’re aging like fine wine, but you empty the bottles faster these days.
- Happy birthday! You’re finally 40, the age when “happy hour” means a nice nap.
- Congratulations on turning 40! You’re now at the age where “pulling an all-nighter” means you didn’t have to wake up to pee.
- Welcome to being 40, where your mind says “I’m still young,” but your body says, “Yeah right.”^{[14]
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- When you turn 20 for the first time, everyone celebrates. When you do it a second time, they get you black balloons. Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday! I hear your doctor told you that you have the body of a 20-year-old… Then he asked you to return it because you’re stretching it out of shape.
- Welcome to being 40, where a night out drinking requires more recovery time than minor surgery.^{[15]
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- They say life begins at 40. They don’t mention that your need for bifocals begins then, too.
- You know you’re 40 when your favorite party game is “Whose knees just popped?”
- Welcome to 40, where every time you sneeze, it’s a gamble.
- Happy 40th! Let’s toast to the age where your spirit is willing, but your back is not.
- At 40, you can still do everything you used to do—it just takes twice as long and hurts twice as much. Happy birthday!
- Congrats on turning 40, where checking for gray hairs becomes a full-time hobby.
- Welcome to being 40, where the music is too loud everywhere—even the supermarket.
- Happy 40th birthday! The age where your knees are better at predicting rain than actual meteorologists.^{[16]
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- You know you’re 40 when you see a bathroom and think, “I might as well stop while I’m here.” Happy birthday!
- Welcome to your 40s, where the kid you used to babysit is now your doctor. Happy birthday!
- Turning 40 means you stop trying to be hip because it might lead to a replacement.
- Happy 40th birthday, when “salt and pepper” isn’t just for the kitchen anymore.
- Happy birthday! Just a warning—40 is officially the age where you’re too old to drop it like it’s hot without warming up first.
- Welcome to being 40, where the only thing getting thinner is our patience. And that’s fine!
- Welcome to the 40s club, where “I slept wrong” is a legitimate injury.
- Happy 40th birthday. We’re contacting you to let you know that your body’s extended warranty is about to expire.
- Being 40 means you have exactly one pillow that won’t give you a neck problem. Happy birthday!^{[17]
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- Welcome to being 40, where every “morning after” requires an actual recovery plan.
- Welcome to middle age—you finally have your life together, then your body starts falling apart. Happy 40th!
- Welcome to your 40s, when your wild oats have turned into prunes and bran cereal.
- Your 40s are less about avoiding temptation and more about avoiding back pain. Happy birthday!
- Turning 40 means finally understanding why your parents were always so tired.^{[18]
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“Embrace it!” Turning 40 is kind of a big deal. You’ve successfully made it out of your 20s (a sketchy time if there ever was one) and your 30s (learning to adult is hard). These messages are perfect for cheerfully reminding your friend to enjoy being 40—or at least to laugh it off!
- Thirties? Check!^{[19]
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- Forty years old? Sounds like 4 perfect 10s to me. Happy birthday!
- I was going to say something snarky, but to be honest, we’re all just impressed you made it to 40.
- Remember, you’re not getting older, you’re getting better. Happy 40th!^{[20]
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- Happy 40th birthday—now put those 40 years of experience to good use!
- If the next 40 years are even half as good as the first, you’ll have a great time. Happy birthday!
- Happy 40th! Now you have plenty of stories that start with “When I was your age…”
- Turning 40 is when you finally realize that middle age is just a great excuse to wear comfy shoes and take naps!^{[21]
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- Happy 40th! Remember, every grey hair is a reminder of a time you didn’t get caught.
- Happy 40th birthday! You’re not old, you’re chronologically gifted.
- They say 40 is the new 20, but twice as wise and with more disposable income. Enjoy!
- Turning 40: Where “over the hill” meets “the hill wasn’t that big.”
- At 40, it’s not a midlife crisis—it’s a midlife enthusiasm reboot. Happy birthday!
- Forty? You don’t look a day over fabulous!
- Remember, you’re not 40—you’re 21 with 19 years of experience.
- Forty and fabulous!
- Congratulations on turning 40—you’ve now lived long enough to see your fashion choices come back in style!
- Happy 40th birthday! You’re not getting older, you’re just becoming a classic.
- Cheers to turning 40! You’re now officially old enough to be embarrassing on purpose.
- Happy 40th birthday! You’re not going gray, you’re activating your wizard powers.
- Happy 40th! Time to start telling people your age in Roman numerals. It sounds more impressive and nobody can figure it out.^{[22]
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- Congrats on your 40th birthday! You’re not old, you’ve just been awesome for a really long time.
- Happy 40th birthday! You’re not old—you’re retro!
- Happy 40th! This is the perfect age to start pretending you forgot things on purpose.
- Welcome to the 40s Club! Our motto is, “If we can’t remember it, it probably wasn’t important!”
- Turning 40 is like upgrading to life’s premium subscription—more features, but also more glitches.^{[23]
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- Happy birthday! Being 40 means we can finally upgrade from “hot mess” to “charmingly chaotic.”
- Turning 40 is like heating a speed bump—you might slow down a little but you’re still on the road to greatness.
- Turning 40 is a lot like hitting the jackpot, but instead of money, you get wisdom and wrinkles.^{[24]
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- Don’t be upset about turning 40. You’re one year closer to a senior citizen discount!
- Being 40 means you can blame everything on a midlife crisis. Happy birthday!
- Happy 40th birthday! Remember, grey hair is just a reminder of all of your sterling qualities.
- Welcome to your 40s! You’re not going over the hill—you’re just taking the scenic route from now on.
- Happy 40th birthday! You’ve now reached the age where your brain switches from “You probably shouldn’t say that,” to “Let’s see what happens!”
- Welcome to being 40. Now instead of hearing “Slow down” from the police, you hear it from your doctor.
- Happy 40th birthday—you’re not aging, you’re increasing in value!
- Being 40 means we did most of our stupid stuff before the internet. Happy birthday!
- 40 is the age where you can still party like a rockstar, as long as you take naps in between. Happy birthday!
- At 40, you’re maturely immature—always up for a good time, but in a responsible way.

Section 2 of 7:

40th Birthday Jokes for Your Partner

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Celebrate your significant other’s 40th birthday. A heartfelt message is always nice on someone’s birthday—but a good joke is even better. These jokes are sure to put a smile on your partner’s face for their celebration of life.
- Happy birthday to the person I want to grow old with. And now we’re one step closer.^{[25]
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- Now that we’re both 40, let’s hope we both age like fine wine. Happy birthday, I love you!
- Now that you’re 40, we can still have candlelit dinners—because now you’ll need the light to read the menu.
- At 40, romance is synced calendars and detailed car maintenance. Happy birthday!
- Spontaneous dates at 40 now involve careful planning and a good nap. Happy birthday!
- Happy 40th birthday! I hope you enjoy the cake I made for you. Lighting the candles took about 20 minutes, almost caused a fire in the kitchen, and triggered a call from our insurance adjuster. I love you!^{[26]
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- Happy 40th birthday! Hopefully you’ll start looking your age soon, because I’m starting to get side-eyes from people who think I’m 20 years older than you.
- Happy 40th birthday, to my love—the perfect blend of experience and still not knowing what you want for dinner.
- Happy 40th birthday to the one who’s still got it—even if “it” now requires a little more caffeine.
- Here’s to 40, where every ache is a badge of honor from surviving our wild younger days!

Section 3 of 7:

40th Birthday Jokes for Women

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These jokes will make any lady smile on her 40th. Help a friend, sister, aunt, or mom celebrate her big 4-Oh with these fun birthday quotes. From encouraging humor to gentle teasing, these messages are sure to brighten her big day.
- Happy 40th birthday! Don’t worry, 40 is the new 30, but with better skincare and comfortable shoes.^{[27]
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- I hope your 40th birthday is as fun as the ones in your 20s … but with fewer hangovers.
- Happy 40th! Now being called “ma’am” is less of a compliment and more of a reality.
- You’re not aging, you’re levelling up. Happy 40th!^{[28]
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- Happy 40th birthday! Somebody call the fire department before the house burns down. No, not because of your birthday candles, but because you’re smoking hot!^{[29]
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- At 40 you’re still hot, it just comes in flashes now. Happy birthday!
- Cheers to turning 40! You’re proof that laughter really is the best cosmetic.
- Obviously, 40 is your color—you look great! Happy birthday!

Section 4 of 7:

40th Birthday Jokes for Men

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Share these birthday messages with your favorite guy. Want to celebrate your brother, dad, uncle, or friend on his 40th birthday? Send him one of these birthday messages—dad-joke approved!
- 40 years old. Time to start woodworking and fixing up old cars!
- Turning 40 is what dads like to call “vintage.”
- Cheers to 40 years of perfecting your “grumpy old man” impression. You’re nailing it!
- Congrats on turning 40! Your dad jokes are now officially age-appropriate.
- You know you’re in your 40s when your back is hairier than your head. Happy birthday!^{[30]
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- Happy 40th birthday! Age is just a number, and yours is like a high score in an arcade game.^{[31]
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- Happy 40th birthday—enjoy your first colonoscopy!

Section 5 of 7:

“I’m Turning 40” Jokes

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Try these if it’s your 40th birthday. Whether you want to be prepared for the inevitable “You’re turning 40” jokes or you want a quippy one-liner for your birthday party, we’ve got you covered. These jokes are all about making light of yourself, in the best way!
- I asked for a smoking hot body for my 40th birthday. Menopause wasn’t what I had in mind.
- I don’t want to brag, but even though I’m 40, I can still fit into the earrings I wore in high school.
- Being 40 is wild. I never thought I’d get excited about organizing my sock drawer.^{[32]
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- Now that I’m 40, I’ve finally hit my stride—and it’s all downhill from here.^{[33]
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- Now that I’m 40, I can finally complain about “kids these days.”
- They say life begins at 40, but I’m still waiting for the instruction manual.
- They say 40 is the new 30, but my knees beg to differ.
- They say life begins at 40, but I’m just here for the cake and puns.
- Turning 40 means I’ve leveled up in the game of life—now I need a cheat code for more cake.
- Who needs a midlife crisis when you can have a midlife pun session at your 40th birthday? Thanks for being here, everyone.
- They say 40 is the new 30—does that mean I can still party like I’m 21?
- Age is just a number, and from now on, mine will be unlisted for privacy reasons!
- I might be 40, but I have the heart of a 20-year-old … and the knees of an 80-year-old.
- Now that I’m 40, I’ve finally figured out life. I just forgot where I put it.
- At 40, every time something goes up (like my age), something else goes down (like my metabolism).

Section 6 of 7:

Quotes for a 40th Birthday

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Borrow these inspirational quotes for a birthday message. Sometimes someone else has already said it best. Check out these quotes on aging gracefully—perfect for a birthday card or cheerful text.
- “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.” - George Burns^{[34]
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- “The first forty years of life give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary.” - Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Youth has no age.” - Pablo Picasso
- “One of the many things nobody ever tells you about middle age is that it’s such a nice change from being young.” - Dorothy Canfield Fisher
- “Every man over 40 is a scoundrel.” - George Bernard Shaw
- “Today is the oldest you’ve ever been, and the youngest you’ll ever be again.” - Eleanor Roosevelt
- “At 20 years of age the will reigns, at 30 the wit, at 40 the judgment.” - Benjamin Franklin
- “Middle age is when your age starts to show around your middle.” - Bob Hope
- “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” - Mark Twain
- “You don’t stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing.” - George Bernard Shaw
- “Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age.” - Victor Hugo
- “Life really does begin at 40. Up until then, you’re just doing research.” - Carl Young

Section 7 of 7:

Fun Ways to Celebrate a 40th Birthday

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Embrace the laughter. Turning 40 is a big milestone, and a good sense of humor can help ease the transition. Here are some fun ideas for celebrating:
- Over-the-hill balloons: Black and silver “over the hill” balloons are a staple of 40th birthday parties. They’re a little corny, but they’re perfect for the friend who loves dad jokes and cheesy humor.
- Old age gifts: Surprise the guest of honor with silly gag gifts like adult diapers, a blood pressure cuff, a walker, a bad wig, or a cake that says “You’re Old!”
- Have a “Fountain of Youth”: Mix up a signature cocktail (or mocktail) for the party and label it “Fountain of Youth.” Then, party like you’re 21 again!
- Go with a retro-themed party: Embrace your inner child with a retro-themed party—decorate with toys and tech that were popular when the guest of honor was a kid, like cassette tapes, 8-bit video games, and cartoons from the 80s or early 90s.
- Throw a pretend funeral: If your loved one is into really dark humor and you want to go all out, rent a casket and have everyone dress in black. Share memories mourning the passing of your friend’s youth.

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Tips

Be careful with the type of humor you use. Some people love dark, dry humor, but other people may find it insensitive. If you’re not sure how a joke will be received, it’s better to skip it. Also, avoid jokes about menopause unless you’re also a woman.

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