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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
  • Starring Andrew Scott as British actor Ian Charleson, who throws himself into playing Hamlet while succumbing to AIDS, the film’s ensemble cast features Dolan as the sarcastic receptionist at the National Theatre in London.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The sarcastic Chandler Bing (Matthew Perry) and affable actor Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) are among her favorite characters.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of sarcastic
Noun
  • In their new home, the past clings to Everton; restless, a bad joke, craving more, loud, glorious.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The vice president warned during the event that her threat was not a joke.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of joke
Verb
  • Country star Russell Dickerson and his wife, Kailey, even leave their boys with grandma for warehouse dates, with Kailey joking that any kid-free excursion – especially a Costco run – feels romantic.
    — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Texas quarterback Arch Manning apologized Tuesday for publicly joking about an AI-altered video that depicted Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN sideline reporter Holly Rowe in the moments after Texas' big win over Ohio State.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of joking
Noun
  • Additionally, Richard Kind as the mayor’s put-upon press secretary also generates laughs.
    — Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • On the set of Ryan Murphy’s retelling of that story, however, his cast managed to get in lots of laughs.
    — Joan Kennedy, Vogue, 17 Sep. 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
  • Gilhaus, Schneider and Cambree Sussex embody the friendly banter and interwoven relationships of Cy-Hawk week.
    — Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Their easy banter in a new AD video tour of the film set feels instantly familiar, echoing the dynamic between sisters Sally (Bullock) and Gillian Owens (Kidman) nearly three decades after Practical Magic first cast its spell on audiences in 1998.
    — Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 10 Sep. 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
  • Through rapid-fire verbal repartee, constant close-ups, and frantic cuts, Deramas treads a careful line between tragedy and comedy, the latter a psychological weapon against the former.
    — Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Faith King and Josiah Fagerstrom both deliver delightfully prickly repartee as their characters gradually manage to surpass archetype.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 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 20 Sep. 2026.

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