1
as in fun
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously
you should know that our teasing was done entirely in jest
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito
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3
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
putting a mouse in her desk drawer was intended to be a harmless jest
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4
as in to joke
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jest
C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
It's done in jest, making fun of the films that came before it that have exhibited genuine concern for a woman's future past her third decade on this planet.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
This led him to jest about a personal request from viewers.
—Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 2 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for jest
Noun
Teams seemingly snatched valuable free agents left and right while the Dolphins’ inactivity became a point of jest for national pundits like Pat McAfee.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
It's done in jest, making fun of the films that came before it that have exhibited genuine concern for a woman's future past her third decade on this planet.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
The two also jested about their pet peeves about each other.
—Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023
This led him to jest about a personal request from viewers.
—Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 2 July 2023
See All Example Sentences for jest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jest
Noun
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This isn’t a report by the fun police: Twelfth Night is bursting with life and humor and should by no means be a moody slog, but Ali’s production is too intent on jollying us along.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
22 Aug. 2025
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There is nothing more fun than a Sunday afternoon in fall with a cold drink, good snack and your favorite NFL team on TV.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Following Colbert’s ongoing jokes at the president’s expense, Trump has celebrated the talk show’s demise.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
17 Aug. 2025
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Take the verdant Monsieur Chic from designer Brett Johnson’s debut trio of parfums, named after a running joke his late wife, Sarah, would deploy when he got dressed up for date nights.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The prank involves a person or persons going up to a random house and ringing the doorbell before running away.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Frightening as these prank calls are, their recipients refuse to take the message seriously, because surely the whole thing is just a macabre practical joke.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Sports media veteran Rich Eisen, who is expected to once again appear on ESPN platforms following the company’s recent acquisition of NFL Network, will serve as the play by play caller for the Week 1 matchup.—
Mark J. Burns,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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And the tragedy of the play is the question left unanswered.—
John Haskell,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Like, just write 100 tunes and record them all (laughs).—
Ed Masley,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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Adam Sandler is also still generating laughs with Happy Gilmore 2.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Head coach Dan Campbell of the Detroit Lions looks on before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Ford Field on October 08, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.—
Cecil Merkerson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Aug. 2025
-
The pandemic took care of that, and the game was rescheduled for Saturday when the schools meet for the first time.—
Tom Layberger,
Forbes.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Covino deploys some of his favorite tricks, like observing domestic chaos or bliss from the outside looking in (or reverse), and characters performing unexpected songs in order to win over a lover.—
Katie Walsh,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Aug. 2025
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After giving it a go myself, comparing notes with our Test Kitchen, and reviewing Pelosi’s tips and tricks on his website, here are a few pointers that might come in handy along the way: Use your noodle.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
High school sports are in full swing across the state.—
Freep.com,
Freep.com,
23 Aug. 2025
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Volpe has been one of the sport’s least valuable players this season.—
Chris Kirschner,
New York Times,
23 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
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