1
as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter
laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito
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2
as in pranks
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
putting a mouse in her desk drawer was intended to be a harmless jest
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3
as in fools
a person or thing that is made fun of
his outlandish costumes made him the jest of the town
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in quips
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
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Recent Examples of jests
Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
Be sure that your jests don’t become insults!
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for jests
Noun
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Yes, as it is said, some jokes just write themselves.—
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Performers have been reprimanded for making racist, sexist and homophobic jokes during shows in the late 1990s and 2000s, according to Westword, and Stock Show officials were quick to apologize.—
Noun
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CrowdStrike senior vice president of counter adversary Adam Meyers told Fortune these techniques have been honed after years of escalating pranks in video game spaces.—
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Tucker, Connor and Carson began rising to TikTok fame in 2019 with their viral videos featuring lifestyle content, family pranks, comedy skits and food and sports challenges.—
Noun
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Not all of the jokes work, but even the grumpiest theatergoers will find plenty of laughs.—
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But the comedians also used those laughs to reveal the fundamental absurdity of violence and conflict.—
Cite this Entry
“Jests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jests. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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