jester

noun

jest·​er ˈje-stər 

1

: fool sense 2a

2

: one given to jests

Synonyms of jester

• comedian

Examples of jester in a Sentence

a gentle jester, the cartoonist more often tries to evoke a broad smile than a hearty guffaw

the king called for some much-needed entertainment from his jester

Recent Examples on the Web

Iron gates wrought into patterns open into a small courtyard filled with metal ephemera, which leads to a door camouflaged by a mural of a bull and a jester. — Clare Coulson, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026

Giving the Angry Wave mascot a jester hat was a nice touch, and the argyle stripe really ties the whole thing together. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026

But Schleien has responded with a coruscating online presence, emerging as less of a jester and more of a conscience for Israeli liberals. — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026

In that light, a collection consisting of nothing but down-home music could be seen as the ultimate joke from a pair of indie-punk jesters. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Pitchfork, 1 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English gestour "reciter of romances, minstrel, entertainer," from gesten "to recite romances" + -our -er entry 2 — more at jest entry 2

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for jester

• ester
• esther
• fester
• nester
• nestor
• pester
• prester
• quaestor
• tester
• wester
• yester
• ancestor

Kids Definition

jester

noun

jest·​er ˈjes-tər 

1

: fool entry 1 sense 2

court jester

2

: a person given to jests