in jest

idiom

formal + old-fashioned

: as a joke

I didn't mean to upset you; I only said it in jest.

Examples of in jest in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even though Jordan later said the off-the-cuff comment was in jest, more than three decades later it still gets repeated, especially now that shoppers of all political stripes are wielding their wallets to make their feelings and beliefs known at the cash register. —Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 10 Nov. 2025

That sentiment, while proclaimed in jest, captures a current appetite among many celebrities and fans alike to break away from conventional interviews in favor of more authentic and flavorful content. —Yahya Salem, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025

Across TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram, African Americans used the Annabelle doll to voice their disgruntlement with the southern plantation tourist industry in jest. —Essence, 29 Oct. 2025

Watters asked, which some interpreted as being in jest and others took as misogynistic. —Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025

Rhymes for in jest

• abreast
• accessed
• addressed
• appressed
• armrest
• arrest
• assessed
• attest
• backrest
• behest
• bequest
• caressed