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

Handing the kingdom of SoFi over to the court jesters for a night is a feat worthy of celebration. —Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026

That said, Katie Holmes makes a compelling case for classic-meets-court jester as a modern twist on the old argyle sweater routine. —Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 27 Jan. 2026

In this third installment, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) is still shaken from her last run-in with Art, but the demonic jester has returned for more murder just in time for Christmas — and he's got a sidekick (Samantha Scaffidi). —Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025

Even the slightly unsettling bronzes and jester pencil drawings by Mieko Yuki were still on display. —Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025

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