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
These things are said somewhat in jest, but people take them seriously.
—
Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 2025
Manning’s brief turn as Chad Powers was never meant to last, yet its resonance showed how audiences cling to the fantasy of starting over, even if only in jest.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The comment, seemingly made by the president in jest, was met with silence from the military leaders called together at Quantico by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
The second part of that answer was partly in jest, but there is a grain of truth there.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in jest
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Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 2025
Manning’s brief turn as Chad Powers was never meant to last, yet its resonance showed how audiences cling to the fantasy of starting over, even if only in jest.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
The comment, seemingly made by the president in jest, was met with silence from the military leaders called together at Quantico by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025
The second part of that answer was partly in jest, but there is a grain of truth there.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in jest
Cite this Entry
“In jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20jest. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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