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
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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
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Recent Examples of jester
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
Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.
—Time, 30 Oct. 2025
In uncertain times, humour is a powerful tool, and artists are the best jesters, critics, and storytellers around.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jester
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
Since medieval times, the colorful fool—from court jesters to Shakespeare’s characters—has used playful wit to critique authority and buffoonery to whip up excitement.
—Time, 30 Oct. 2025
In uncertain times, humour is a powerful tool, and artists are the best jesters, critics, and storytellers around.
—Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jester
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jester
Noun
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The 66-year-old comedian tells PEOPLE that performing with the late actress on Whose Line Is It Anyway?—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
5 Apr. 2026
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Bamford is a stand-up beloved by other performers, and her show features no small number of comedians in cameo roles.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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And what kind of fool would write such an article?—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
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Start with a pastel pink French tip, then treat each nail as a canvas for delicate swan art (or opt for stickers for a fool-proof DIY).—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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When Feld Entertainment unveiled a new edition of the circus with much fanfare in 2023, the only animal in it was a mechanical robot dog and while there was some comedy, traditional circus clowns were not a part of it.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
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In Nuremberg,Göring is closer to a sad clown than to a monster.—
Alice Kaplan,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The spill hit 1,300 miles of coastline, leading to the deaths of about 900 bald eagles, 300 seals, 1,000 harlequin ducks, 2,800 sea otters and 250,000 seabirds, according to the conservation group Oceana.—
Arizona Republic,
AZCentral.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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If the Brits are anything to go by, feather boas and harlequin jumpsuits are out, and French-girl flats are in.—
Alice Newbold,
Vogue,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After months bandying about the term joker to describe his team’s need for a matchup-threat pass-catcher, Sean Payton sat with the media at the NFL owners’ meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, last year and confirmed Denver had gotten its guy.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
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Students are required to bring two full decks of cards including the jokers.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jester.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jester. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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