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
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter
laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in to joke
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 22 May 2025
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
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
Born a modest gathering of kindred spirits, the festival hath blossomed into a celebration of the days of yore, where knights do clash, bards sing sweet airs, merchants display their wares most fine and wenches doth tease in tawdry jests.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 22 May 2025
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
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
-
Best Gifts for Teens When looking for gifts for teens, consider products that align with their interests and passions, such as a practical bucket hat inspired by their favorite K-pop show or a fun crochet kit.—
Anja Webb,
Parents,
6 Nov. 2025
-
That’s because the next outpost of his Carbone empire is opening on Friday, a place that blends Italian nostalgic elegance with the restaurant’s typical modern flair for fun.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The comedy is a tonal mess, veering between underdeveloped jokes and unearned sentiment.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Nov. 2025
-
How did Joy nearly die in the wilderness of Colorado, a place that, in a joke the film keeps repeating, is almost all white people?—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
People submit clips of themselves performing the prank, the original poster selects a winner, and the award is distributed in Solana tokens.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Nov. 2025
-
According to a 2015 Time Magazine story, the tradition of benign pranks began sometime in the 1930s and 1940s in the United States, brought on perhaps as a way to defuse the tensions of economic devastation and the pain of war.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The obvious play here would be to fade the team that just traded away its two best defensive players.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Country is second at 22%, though its dominance of Frontline-eligible songs remains, accounting for 41% of plays, followed by pop (19%), rap (14%) and rock (12%).—
Kevin Rutherford,
Billboard,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The Spartans got the last laugh for now, too, taking both games.—
Scott Wheeler,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Katz said, feigning familiarity with the leader’s influence and drawing laughs from the audience.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Self was in a joking mood when asked about the squad’s stellar defensive play.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
29 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
Should the Tigers end up missing a bowl game, the noise will grow much louder.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Then Heat forward Nikola Jovic threw the perfect inbounds pass to find Wiggins for the game-winning alley-oop dunk at the final buzzer.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Dom tried his usual tricks, such as leaving the match to get counted out, but Cena stopped him and brought him back to the ring.—
Matthew Couden,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
-
And the action ranges from dueling card tricks to the kind of honest-to-God fights that merely serve to remind us that balletic action films really are magic tricks.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
11 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 28 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share