1
as in fun
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously
you should know that our teasing was done entirely in jest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
putting a mouse in her desk drawer was intended to be a harmless jest
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to joke
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of jest
Michael Wilner, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2025
Born a modest gathering of kindred spirits, the festival hath blossomed into a celebration of the days of yore, where knights do clash, bards sing sweet airs, merchants display their wares most fine and wenches doth tease in tawdry jests.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 22 May 2025
Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 26 Sep. 2024
At a Foo Fighters concert last weekend, the Nirvana alum appeared to jest that the pop star doesn’t perform live at her own shows.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 27 June 2024
See All Example Sentences for jest
Noun
Vance’s remarks, while taken in jest, fell flat in a room filled with experts more keenly aware than most of the challenges facing travel in the Trump era.
—Verb
While Black jested about the possibility of a sequel in his video, the concept has come up in the past.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for jest
Noun
-
Always ready for fun, Rose enjoys laughing, moving and finding creative ways to express herself.—
-
Manette poked fun at his famous recliner For over 35 years, Curt has settled into the same teal Bradington Young recliner to eat, watch TV and work out football plays.—
Noun
-
If that means being the frequent butt of jokes for his age, that's fine, too.—
-
Try to ski with a friend, who might distract me with a story or a joke.—
Noun
-
Rose also likes pulling lighthearted pranks to make others laugh.—
-
Based on Agatha Christie’s thrilling mystery, the upcoming Netflix series of the same name is a detective story about a sleuth who investigates a prank gone tragically wrong.—
Noun
-
The remainder of the half belonged to Indiana and its big-play defense.—
-
Carolyn Collins scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Mya Korpal had 15 points as Winchester came back to defeat Reading 54-53 in Middlesex League play.—
Noun
-
The laughs came thanks to some ace-level hosts.—
-
The cops have a good laugh with her.—
Noun
-
Cole follows up with a joking request to appear on an interlude on the forthcoming project, then asks whether West could send him a care package of clothes — which West agrees to — before exiting the stage.—
-
Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.—
Noun
-
After eight games, Lions Coach Dan Campbell opted to relieve Morton of his play-calling duties and take over for the rest of the season.—
-
The loss dropped Sacramento to 8-29, half a game ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans for the worst record in the Western Conference, while the Kings’ losing streak extended to six games.—
Noun
-
This dish will do the trick with crispy chicken and fresh zucchini tossed in a tender linguine with a robust lemon flavor.—
-
But even an invitation to hang out again, perhaps paired with a gift card to a local lunch spot, could do the trick.—
Cite this Entry
“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share