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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
4
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
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
  • Fish at Shaw Park Hunt Family Nature Center in Springdale will host a fishing fun day at 9 a.m. Friday at Shaw Family Park, 7341 W. Downum Road, in Springdale.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 29 July 2025
  • Christina Haack is poking fun at her recent birthday trip — including her atypical travel companions!
    Natalia Senanayake, People.com, 28 July 2025
Noun
  • Aaron Judge had jokes for Giancarlo Stanton after the Yankees’ beat the Braves on July 20, as none of the DH’s three hits in that game were for extra bases.
    Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Make your own jokes about Trump as the face of fitness.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The marijuana photos that appeared this weekend when people googled Taylor Police Department were likely a prank that, for a moment, had some in the community snickering, including the deputy chief.
    Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
  • What starts as a simple favor to keep her great-niece turns into a wild Halloween night filled with jump scares and pranks — but as usual, nothing frightens her more than bad manners and disrespect. Boo 2!
    Jane LaCroix, People.com, 13 July 2025
Noun
  • Amenities: Free on-site parking, restaurant, rooftop bar, gym, pool and kid’s pool, beach access, dedicated kid’s play area Editor’s tip: Don’t miss the sourdough breads and pastries baked fresh every morning courtesy of the hotel’s new bakery in town, Red Jane.
    Monica Mendal, Vogue, 15 July 2025
  • That was followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) by Washington D.C., which offers 43 restaurants to choose from, one play area, five breastfeeding stations, and rentable strollers.
    Opheli Garcia Lawler, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2025
Noun
  • There are a couple of Yates on the tracks [laughs].
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Ki Hong Lee sprinted through the Maze Runner films (2014–2018) as Minho and brought a lot of laughs as Dong Nguyen on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2016).
    EW.com, EW.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • After navigating spot starts and bullpen games for the first two months of the 2025 season, manager John Schneider finally found a set starting five in June.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 31 July 2025
  • Cristhian Paredes scored the only goal in a win over LAFC the last time out, bringing an end to its run of five away games without a victory.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
Noun
  • From fashion tips and tricks to tween and teen hair and nails, our back-to-school style guide has a little bit of everything.
    Kimberly Zapata, Parents, 29 July 2025
  • Over the years, Johnson has learned some tricks to help acquaint himself with new colleagues, from researching the background of management or coaches or looking up teammates on Madden to know a bit about their game.
    Ben Morse, CNN Money, 28 July 2025
Noun
  • But in the last few years, the sport has exploded in popularity around the globe.
    Julia Andersen, CNN Money, 30 July 2025
  • Ujiri’s path is proof that the ecosystem around sport is just as important.
    Sindiswa Mabunda, Forbes.com, 30 July 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on jest

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!