jest 1 of 2

noun

ˈjest How to pronounce jest (audio)
Definition of jestnext
1
as in fun
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously you should know that our teasing was done entirely in jest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito

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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

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4
as in fool
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

jest

2 of 2

verb

as in to joke
to make jokes when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun jest differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of jest are fun, game, play, and sport. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

In what contexts can fun take the place of jest?

Although the words fun and jest have much in common, fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

How are the words game and sport related as synonyms of jest?

Game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

When is it sensible to use play instead of jest?

The words play and jest can be used in similar contexts, but play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

When could sport be used to replace jest?

The words sport and jest are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

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
Noun
It's done in jest, making fun of the films that came before it that have exhibited genuine concern for a woman's future past her third decade on this planet. —Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025 More News: William Byron Just Pulled Off a Daytona 500 Feat Only Four Others Have Speaking about the incident in an interview, Byron seemed amused by the clever digital jest. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025
Verb
The two also jested about their pet peeves about each other. —Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 This led him to jest about a personal request from viewers. —Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 2 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for jest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jest
  1. fun
  2. joke
  3. prank
  4. play
  5. laugh
  6. game
  7. trick
  8. sport
Noun
  • Western Conference teams could also get in on the fun.
    — Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • She’s also become part of a group of young female tennis players who are having fun with fashion.
    — Hikmat Mohammed, Footwear News, 9 June 2025
Definition of fun
Noun
  • The site’s users took great joy in watching the feud in real time, responding to the showdown between the president and the world’s wealthiest man with jokes and memes.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
  • Surrounded by her animals at home, Lin watched re-runs of The Big Bang Theory, practicing the cadence of the words, the rising sound of a joke, the pacing of each phrase.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
Definition of joke
Noun
  • The digital prank consists of a bait-and-switch maneuver in which someone opens a disguised hyperlink containing the music video to Astley's song.
    — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 June 2025
  • Green Goblin Pumpkin pranks are this mischievous supervillain’s signature move.
    — Sarah Scott, Parents, 30 May 2025
Definition of prank
Noun
  • Related Stories Performances begin on Tuesday at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, with the play’s 11-week engagement officially opening on June 24.
    — Angelique Jackson, Variety, 9 June 2025
  • The two left their partners only to break up after the play’s run—what’s known in the business as a showmance.
    — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Definition of play
Noun
  • There are a lot of fun moments during the annual Big Slick weekend in Kansas City, and the laughs are shared by the celebrities who take part as well as the audience at the softball game and the gala.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2025
  • More laughs ensued when Barton asked if Ulvaeus has ever asked AI programs to write ABBA lyrics.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 June 2025
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • Scottie Scheffler, coming off three wins in his last four starts, had his sixth straight round over par in the U.S. Open with a game that didn’t look familiar.
    — Doug Ferguson, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025
  • There’s a striped, stretch terry collection of tops and bottoms that are perfect for hitting a soccer game, then heading out to lunch with friends, the partners said.
    — Emily M. Olson, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025
Definition of game
Noun
  • However, there is a trick for using both of these operations together.
    — Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Thalberg was a wunderkind, and one of the tricks of being a wunderkind is to leverage a youthful aura—selling the Kind to increase the Wunder.
    — Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
Definition of trick
Noun
  • Leo’s love for the sport was noted immediately upon his election on May 8, but the question remained: Cubs or White Sox?
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 12 June 2025
  • The sport of Flag Football has been approved as a sport, and this has led to much debate over professional football players participating in the sport.
    — James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Definition of sport

Browse Nearby Words

jerry-rigged
jest
jested
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Cite this Entry

“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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Nglish: Translation of jest for Spanish Speakers

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