as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
made jesting comments about my need for serious fashion advice
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as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
lots of laughter and elbow-nudging jesting at family reunions
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as in bantering
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of jesting
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
No matter what happened, Dunham could not seem to help posting through it, her public persona one of infinite jesting confession.
—
Madeline Leung Coleman,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Any amount of singing or jesting will be heard by all.
—
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Language There’s some crude language, jesting, and mature comedic themes, but but nothing the modern tween or teen hasn’t seen or heard before.
—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Dec. 2025
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
So much so that a cheeky George Clooney let loose a certain four-letter word while jesting about a fellow actor.
—
Kimi Robinson,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
Hudson showed some subtle support for the jesting knocks to her boyfriend by reposting a clip of his final joke shared on Fox News' official X page.
—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
18 May 2026
No matter what happened, Dunham could not seem to help posting through it, her public persona one of infinite jesting confession.
—
Madeline Leung Coleman,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Any amount of singing or jesting will be heard by all.
—
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
Language There’s some crude language, jesting, and mature comedic themes, but but nothing the modern tween or teen hasn’t seen or heard before.
—
Lynnette Nicholas,
Parents,
8 Dec. 2025
Verb
Mamdani has said nobody should throw snowballs at cops — jesting that the public should throw them at him instead — but does not see it as a criminal matter.
—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
25 Feb. 2026
So much so that a cheeky George Clooney let loose a certain four-letter word while jesting about a fellow actor.
—
Kimi Robinson,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jesting
Adjective
-
This is taken as evidence of his status, not a sarcastic criticism.
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On Monday night, Contreras was ejected in the second inning after a check-swing strikeout prompted him to give a sarcastic ABS challenge gesture at the umpire, earning an instant boot.
Noun
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As the escape-room activity kicks off — the guests have 30 minutes to find Aesha’s crew — the boys find plenty of opportunity to make insinuating jokes about tying up the girls, some (Coop) more wholesome than others (Luke).
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And as a distant relative jokes, many can be found on mortgages, loans and other debts.
Verb
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Thursday evening, joking about his suspension last year for his comments about reactions to conservator commentator Charlie Kirk’s death.
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Sudano said his son was a good kid who was outgoing, always joking and good-hearted.
Noun
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Steele’s portrayal of imperious, glamorous Tanya provides some of the show’s biggest laughs.
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What makes this such an exhilarating watch is how the performers navigate every passive-aggressive aside, every catty comment, every choice bit of annoying behavior played for laughs, pathos, or both at once.
Noun
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Bird and Morgan also appear in the special, which uses light banter and commentary to help viewers understand the athletes’ impact and achievements.
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The beef banter just as easily boils down to recipes and preferences in style and thickness of cuts.
Noun
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Left on their own, boisterous badinage between old school British thespian Shaw and giggly, hyper-ventilating wannabe movie star Dreyfuss has taken hold.
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The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.
Noun
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To be sure, Maher’s ready wit and spontaneous repartee as a talk show host were central themes for the parade of chums who praised the honoree.
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The two-minute trailer includes a recreation of the famous sailor-kissing-a-nurse photo from V-J Day, a woman insulting David’s butter churning, some trench warfare repartee about the looks of a soldier’s love back at home, the Boston Tea Party, and jokes about child labor.
Noun
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The humorous joshing and teasing that came out of their initial love just gets worse and worse.
Cite this Entry
“Jesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jesting. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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