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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 The show must go on for Fielder, however, who in one of the funniest stretches of the episode studies the congressional testimony of other Hollywood jesters to see how he could be taken seriously. Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 May 2025 His Nineties art-punk jesters Lifter Puller never made a ripple outside the Twin Cities. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 6 Apr. 2025 Instead of cars on Marshall Street, attendees will find more than 75 artisans and performers — including a fairy trading post, storytellers and a court jester — and a mead pop-up bar. Karri Peifer, Axios, 5 Mar. 2025 Bailey, deft and playful, chooses to be his own antic, a droll and often hostile jester. Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jester
Noun
  • Tonight’s performance is billed as the Killers of Kill Tony, which will feature comedians who have become regulars on his wildly popular comedy competition.
    Frank DiGiacomo, Billboard, 15 Aug. 2025
  • The comedian wrote a short but powerful caption to mark year nine on Instagram in August 2025.
    Essence, Essence, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Some might say the goal of a nuclear-free world is a fool’s errand.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Trying to avoid every dip and pullback is a fool’s errand.
    Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Carnival Midway’s cast of trapeze artists, aerialists, jugglers and clowns perform every hour on the half hour, starting at 1:30 p.m. (on weekends, the show kicks off at 11:30a.m.).
    Alex Schechter, Travel + Leisure, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Guests were surrounded by a surreal landscape of vanishing walls, floating furniture, and a creepy clown with a menacing smile.
    Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Learn more about management options and which food plants are most susceptible to this insect in our harlequin bug on vegetables web page.
    Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 16 Apr. 2025
  • Once infused with the diabolical spirit, the guide is transformed into a buffoon, complete with a harlequin outfit—a mad joker and a dancing fool who does a little jig to the sound of a jazz trio.
    Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Best trait: Fluid athleticism A talented joker tight end, Klare is a smooth athlete in the passing game, with a talent for creating space both before and after the catch.
    Dane Brugler, New York Times, 24 July 2025
  • There, Mac takes on a role between Puck and Prospero, donning a joker’s cap to jokingly-and-not unsettle your expectations of how a play should end.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 13 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Jester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jester. Accessed 26 Aug. 2025.

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