1
as in comedians
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 clowns
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 jesters
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
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
Medieval Europe, an era that gave us heraldry, court jesters, and troubadours, is rendered in dull, grayish brown hues.
—Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 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
Even if jesters are no more, our need to dissent and criticize has not passed.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2025
Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
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
Medieval Europe, an era that gave us heraldry, court jesters, and troubadours, is rendered in dull, grayish brown hues.
—Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 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
Even if jesters are no more, our need to dissent and criticize has not passed.
—Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 1 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jesters
Noun
-
Watch young John Early, Kate Berlant, and Cole Escola re-create a scene from the film in intricate detail and see camp interpretation at its finest — comedians using Showgirls’s eccentricities to unearth something delicious.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Increasingly, Fuentes is in conversation with the class of comedians and podcasters, including Shane Gillis and Theo Von, who broke through establishment doors with Netflix and Spotify deals.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
How did clowns become a protest symbol?—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And, yeah, it’s run by unworthy—the clowns are the best one.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Only fools would think differently.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Arsenal would be fools to adopt a different approach as long as nothing changes.—
Stuart James,
New York Times,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Students are required to bring two full decks of cards including the jokers.—
Kris Slugg,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The 166-piece set includes 36 dot, bam, and crack tiles, 12 dragons, 16 winds, 16 flowers, 10 jokers, and four blank spare tiles made from melamine.—
Maggie Horton,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jesters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jesters. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
