1
as in comedian
a person (as a writer) noted for or specializing in humor
a gentle jester, the cartoonist more often tries to evoke a broad smile than a hearty guffaw
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in fool
a person formerly kept in a royal or noble household to amuse with jests and pranks
the king called for some much-needed entertainment from his jester
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 jester
Handing the kingdom of SoFi over to the court jesters for a night is a feat worthy of celebration.
—
Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
That said, Katie Holmes makes a compelling case for classic-meets-court jester as a modern twist on the old argyle sweater routine.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 27 Jan. 2026
In this third installment, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) is still shaken from her last run-in with Art, but the demonic jester has returned for more murder just in time for Christmas — and he's got a sidekick (Samantha Scaffidi).
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Even the slightly unsettling bronzes and jester pencil drawings by Mieko Yuki were still on display.
—Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jester
Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
That said, Katie Holmes makes a compelling case for classic-meets-court jester as a modern twist on the old argyle sweater routine.
—Elizabeth Logan, Glamour, 27 Jan. 2026
In this third installment, Sienna Shaw (Lauren LaVera) is still shaken from her last run-in with Art, but the demonic jester has returned for more murder just in time for Christmas — and he's got a sidekick (Samantha Scaffidi).
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Even the slightly unsettling bronzes and jester pencil drawings by Mieko Yuki were still on display.
—Chris Schalkx, Travel + Leisure, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jester
Noun
-
The Original put his hands on Ojitos, and the blind comedian answered with several shots with a cain.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
-
Steyer's video supporting Hernandez earned praise from some liberal social media users, especially those who advocate for transgender rights, including transgender comedian Stacy Cay.—
Jackson Thompson OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Predicting the future is a fool’s game.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
But don't let his calm demeanor fool you.—
Joelle Goldstein,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Grotesque sea hags, killer clowns, demonic self-help books and more plague the town and its mayor, Tom Loftis (Matthew Rhys).—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
His near-daily press conferences are just part of a traveling, partisan clown show.—
Scott Maxwell,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Colman Domingo wore a colorful custom Valentino look based on the house's harlequin motif.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
5 May 2026
-
Common Pests and Diseases Broccoli plants can be damaged by common insect pests, like caterpillars, aphids, flea beetles, and harlequin bugs, says Minter.—
Blythe Copeland,
Martha Stewart,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Clooney might be known as the joker of the two.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
-
Like any public hearing, there were a few jokers who had some strange outbursts, but the majority of the over a dozen speakers weren’t satisfied with Gower’s presentation and used their times to ask questions of the owners as to what has taken so long with this project.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jester. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
