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
Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Boucher’s enfants practice the arts and sciences both as a jest—a child of five can do this—and as an Enlightenment homage to the unclouded natural mind.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 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
Others are posting videos about how to recession-proof your life, from starting a garden to cheap meal ideas — all in varying degrees of jest.
—Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Boucher’s enfants practice the arts and sciences both as a jest—a child of five can do this—and as an Enlightenment homage to the unclouded natural mind.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 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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A lot of fun, very comedic movie.—
Charles Infosino,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Oct. 2025
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Enter the 2025 Honda Pioneer 1000-5 Trail Special Edition; Honda’s rec/utility fit for any occasion, any chore and tons of off-road fun.—
Marc D. Grasso,
Boston Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts got in on the joke after his team captured the National League pennant for the fifth time in the past nine years.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Students embraced the joke, and before long, every game began with hundreds of tortillas soaring into the night sky as the whistle blew for kickoff.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Anoka, Minnesota, began its Halloween celebrations in 1920 to curb destructive pranks by local youths.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
24 Oct. 2025
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Instead, the suspects resold them both in Spain and abroad, including in Morocco and Romania, turning what might seem like a small-scale prank into a lucrative criminal enterprise.—
Moná Thomas,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Mikel Arteta’s side have converted 31 per cent of their open-play chances, an improvement on their rate at this stage last season (29 per cent from 17 big chances) and 2023-24 (18 per cent of 11).—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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The play focuses on the assassination of the title character by a conspiracy headed by Brutus and Cassius and the defeat of the conspirators in battle by Caesar’s successors, the triumvirate of Marc Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The piece signals transformation, but the spontaneous laugh turns luxury into connection; by the red-gown reveal, the necklace reads less like a trophy and more like a charm that’s worked.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
25 Oct. 2025
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According to showrunner and executive producer David Mirkin, these laughs sometimes just serve as a tool to make sure the episodes are the correct length for broadcast.—
Grace Dean,
Space.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Jones eventually got into his joking bag, and Bleek took that opportunity to seriously set the record straight one last time.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
15 Oct. 2025
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And their joking comments about their relationship never help the matter.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Through seven games, Mahomes has gotten off to one of his best starts in recent memory.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Oct. 2025
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Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who became the ninth player in NHL history to score 1,700 points, said the team found out about the fall after the game.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the weeks leading up to Halloween, Newman continues to share wig tips ahead of partying and trick-or-treating.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
29 Oct. 2025
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Advertisement Apple and caramel dips Apples are a top-tier fall fruit and a healthy, on-theme choice for trick-or-treaters.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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