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
Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
More News: William Byron Just Pulled Off a Daytona 500 Feat Only Four Others Have
Speaking about the incident in an interview, Byron seemed amused by the clever digital jest.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 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
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
More News: William Byron Just Pulled Off a Daytona 500 Feat Only Four Others Have
Speaking about the incident in an interview, Byron seemed amused by the clever digital jest.
—Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 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 clip has reached 39 million views as of Friday, leading to memes on X poking fun at the interaction.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
22 June 2025
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But inside the sanctuary of the studio walls, having fun felt like its own act of vengeance.—
David Mack,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
Noun
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And yet the world is too driven by algorithms, too fragmented in its tastes, to ever be on the same page again and get the same jokes.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
30 June 2025
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She was raised in a society—a West Indian society—that did not put much of a premium on women’s bodies, where any kind of intimacy was a joke.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Blending real tour footage, a faux biopic, a tongue-in-cheek jukebox musical and a museum filled with half-fake relics, the film is part tribute, part Gen X time capsule, part absurdist prank.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
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This launches a prank war to end all prank wars, bringing Sari and Gabe together in a story of love, family, community, and irresistibly delicious pastries.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
24 June 2025
Noun
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One of Netflix’s big movie plays for July is the sequel to its very silly but very fun action fantasy film The Old Guard.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
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Doubling up on tight ends is a curious play by Pittsburgh considering Rodgers is among the league's lowest in targeting that position — roughly 20% of his passes go to TEs, sixth-lowest among active QBs, according to Sports Illustrated.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
Noun
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And in a company which faithfully recreates stiff 18th-century acting conventions, McCormack’s unapologetically sassy Semira was a welcome change of pace, drawing the afternoon’s biggest laughs.—
Hannah Edgar,
Chicago Tribune,
28 June 2025
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Friday’s Resident Alien had it all: uproarious laughs, romance, heartbreak and a whole lot of vomit.—
Nick Caruso,
TVLine,
28 June 2025
Noun
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The 6-foot-1 guard, who has a 6-6 wingspan, averaged 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists during 36 games but saw his scoring jump to 16.1 points when he was inserted into the starting lineup for the last 15 contests to help Michigan State reach the Elite Eight.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2025
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After leading the National League in wins and receiving Cy Young Award votes in 2023, Strider appeared in just two games last season.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
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This isn't the first time the former Sports Illustrated model has shared parenting tips and tricks.—
Clare Fisher,
People.com,
23 June 2025
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The magic trick is that Sunny gradually learned how to distinguish its POV from the characters’, showing empathy not only for the Gang’s victims, but also the Gang itself.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
Noun
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Still, shedding years of public perception is a daunting task for a sports apparel company and New Balance remains a relatively small player in a massive industry.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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This was before the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, when hockey was a niche sport in China and the NHL a mere pipe dream.—
John Wawrow,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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