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
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
Last spring, Wood suggested in jest that FCS football is the junior varsity of major college sports.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
These things are said somewhat in jest, but people take them seriously.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for in jest
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Essence, 29 Oct. 2025
Watters asked, which some interpreted as being in jest and others took as misogynistic.
—Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Last spring, Wood suggested in jest that FCS football is the junior varsity of major college sports.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2025
These things are said somewhat in jest, but people take them seriously.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 1 Oct. 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 4 Nov. 2025.
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