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
Melissa Locker,
Time,
12 Jan. 2026
This was all in jest though and while many would object to making homophobia a joke, there didn’t appear to be actual malice behind it, at least from a superficial look.
—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
Christine Clarridge,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
While Black jested about the possibility of a sequel in his video, the concept has come up in the past.
—
Tommy McArdle,
Peoplemag,
26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for jest
Noun
Rich Polk—Getty Images Glaser teased Leonardo DiCaprio about dating much younger women, which is a frequent jest made about the dating life of the One Battle After Another star.
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Melissa Locker,
Time,
12 Jan. 2026
This was all in jest though and while many would object to making homophobia a joke, there didn’t appear to be actual malice behind it, at least from a superficial look.
—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
The big picture: Parody accounts from Mount Rainier and Mount Hood are trading playful taunts and humorous one-upmanship, comparing body counts and jesting about whether size matters.
—
Christine Clarridge,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
While Black jested about the possibility of a sequel in his video, the concept has come up in the past.
—
Tommy McArdle,
Peoplemag,
26 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for jest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jest
Noun
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Tinky Winky, the purple Teletubby who was ensnared in controversy in 1999 when televangelist Jerry Falwell accused it of being gay (and yet rumors still linger on…), led moves with Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po all joining in on the fun.
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The Orange Walk put on by devotees of the Netherlands national team — and more than a few locals joining in for fun — was a party from start to finish, and everyone was involved.
Noun
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New Delhi — What started as an online joke has now spilled onto the streets of India’s capital.
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Jan Paul van Hecke, a center-back who saw action on all parts of the pitch by both defending and scoring a goal, praised how the field held up — while also making a joke.
Noun
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In the special, Arcuri tackles topics like marital pranks and urinal mind games while contending, on the more serious side, with his wife Katie Thurston’s cancer journey.
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These are the kinds of hijinks fans came to expect, evoking all the feelings of a fun day at summer camp… with maybe a slightly higher volume of pranks.
Noun
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In 2022, Renard coached Saudi Arabia, which pulled off one of the greatest World Cup upsets by defeating Argentina in group play.
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There’s a lot of hard work that goes into being a shopping writer, but there’s a lot of play, too.
Noun
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The fallout of that inquiry—to which Joe and Angela gamely acquiesce—generates its share of laughs, though our amusement comes at a cost.
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There are definitely laughs in Maddie’s Secret, but the point of the movie is almost to get beyond them, to the place where naive hokum could yield moments of inexplicable resonance.
Noun
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Oh, but the Padres manager was ready with the joking last night.
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Still, Yoon’s joking somehow lightens the mood.
Noun
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About three weeks after its release on April 17, the game had already sold over two million copies worldwide.
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According to Roberts, Treinen felt normal after the game.
Noun
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Artists and couturiers are fond of the whimsy of trompe l’oeil, the trick of the eye, the illusion of reality.
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Cohesion is the trick, and color does most of the work.
Cite this Entry
“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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