jesting 1 of 3

adjective

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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jesting

2 of 3

noun

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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jesting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of jest
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

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 jesting
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
  1. sarcastic
  2. joke
  3. joking
  4. laugh
  5. raillery
  6. banter
  7. badinage
  8. repartee
Adjective
  • Another way to say this is that, in place of the extensive self-announcements Plato allows his characters, Rochester substitutes his own summary judgements, his sarcastic imitations.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 July 2026
  • This is taken as evidence of his status, not a sarcastic criticism.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 July 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Noun
  • The problem is, having our President butt in here was a joke.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
  • The two constants in the show, tap-dancing and short ridiculous jokes, start to have the same rhythms and sharp bam-bam-bam impact.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 6 July 2026
Definition of joke
Verb
  • Following the convincing 3-0 victory over Czechia while resting some starters, the atmosphere on the Mexican team has been very relaxed, with several videos showing the players joking around with each other.
    — Eduard Cauich, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • There were quips and laughs during the postgame news conference, but Skubal’s overall tone was hardly joking.
    — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 25 June 2026
Definition of joking
Noun
  • Fox Sports cameras showed Swift sharing a laugh with Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce, in a suite.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
  • Davidson cowrote each episode, providing plenty of laughs and adding an extra bounce to the show’s hopeful ending.
    — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 July 2026
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • With time, their caustic raillery transforms into sincere attachment.
    — Charlie Tyson, The Atlantic, 13 May 2021
  • French’s evocation of place, a rural way of life and overall creepiness are superb, as is the dialogue, a festival of Irish raillery and repartee.
    — Washington Post, Washington Post, 14 Oct. 2020
Definition of raillery
Noun
  • The chemistry between the two leads is astounding, with both men encouraged to improvise during filming to make their banter feel authentic.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 3 July 2026
  • Bird and Morgan also appear in the special, which uses light banter and commentary to help viewers understand the athletes’ impact and achievements.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 2 July 2026
Definition of banter
Noun
  • Left on their own, boisterous badinage between old school British thespian Shaw and giggly, hyper-ventilating wannabe movie star Dreyfuss has taken hold.
    — Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026
  • The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025
Definition of badinage
Noun
  • 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.
    — Paul Harris, Variety, 29 June 2026
  • 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.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 11 June 2026
Definition of repartee

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Cite this Entry

“Jesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jesting. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of jesting for Spanish Speakers

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