jest 1 of 2

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
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as in fool
a person or thing that is made fun of his outlandish costumes made him the jest of the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

jest

2 of 2

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun jest differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of jest are fun, game, play, and sport. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

In what contexts can fun take the place of jest?

Although the words fun and jest have much in common, fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

How are the words game and sport related as synonyms of jest?

Game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

When is it sensible to use play instead of jest?

The words play and jest can be used in similar contexts, but play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

When could sport be used to replace jest?

The words sport and jest are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of jest
Noun
However, Chef Karina Orozco is quick to point out the fun cannabis or pot references are all in jest. Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025 Proving the heckle was all in jest, Vergara smiled at the fellow actor. Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 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
  • To say more would spoil the fun, but what this film demonstrates clearly is the exceptional filmmaking talent of Coogler and his team, mostly who all worked on his other films.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Best Amazon Easter Gifts For Fun Spark joy with the whole family and shop fun gifts from Lego, Galison, and more starting at $10.
    Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Trump sued Maher in 2013 for $5 million after the comedian made a crass joke about his mother and an orangutan.
    Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Joe Berton, the man whom Sports Illustrated photographed to depict a fictional Mets mega-prospect in an instant-classic April Fools Day story, visited Citi Field on Tuesday in recognition of the prank’s 40th anniversary.
    Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 8 Apr. 2025
  • Manager Emma Hayes was, at least in the moment, less impressed with the prank.
    Jamie Barton, CNN Money, 6 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As part of its spring 2025 runway presentation, Fendi paired two bags in different hues and silhouettes for some intentional contrast play — both gripped in one hand by the models.
    Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Written, performed and co-directed by Crouch, the play tells the story of a father who loses his daughter in a car accident.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • That sort of showboating elicits laughs from TV audiences, partly because today's younger shoppers are spending less on pricey goods and more on luxury experiences.
    Marco della Cava, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • Sharing good laughs goes a long way to strengthening connections and relationships.
    Liz Guthridge, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Power and pump up your tech game with today's Amazon tech deals!
    Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 14 Apr. 2025
  • And despite struggles from the bottom of the batting order,, the Dodgers were still averaging more than 5 ½ runs per game, hardly seeming to notice Freddie Freeman’s early absence.
    Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Special content, tips, and tricks: Free digital access to the vast recipe archives of Bon Appétit and Epicurious, plus an in-depth video filmed in the test kitchen of one recipe from each box.
    The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2025
  • So while the cutting hardware isn’t anything particularly new, eufy packs in a few software tricks that make its robot lawn mowers stand out.
    Anthony Karcz, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Held at the London West Hollywood, the event honored Miller, the founding chair of the entertainment and sports law department at Fox Rothschild, for his continued excellence and commitment to the community.
    Lauren Coates, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
  • In other cases, surgeons may allow patients to resume light cardio at six weeks and everything else–weight training, yoga, sports—at three months.
    Jolene Edgar, Allure, 10 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

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