as in joking
marked by or expressive of mild or good-natured teasing
made jesting comments about my need for serious fashion advice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in joke
good-natured teasing or exchanging of clever remarks
lots of laughter and elbow-nudging jesting at family reunions
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in bantering
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jesting
Noun
-
According to The New York Times, Chappelle — who has been under fired for his transphobic jokes in the past — used his comedy set at the Riyadh Comedy Festival to speak about the lack of freedom of speech in the United States, especially in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s killing.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025 -
People taking offense at jokes simply didn’t land as a news story anymore.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
When Brian Kilmeade complained about the size, joking that sandwiches this large often require a fork, Han offered some playful advice.—
Khloe Quill,
FOXNews.com,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Mars just kind of came joking around because that sounds bigger than life.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
PEOPLE,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Notably absent was Jennette McCurdy, who played Carly's sarcastic sidekick Sam in the original series.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Denise – scrappy, sarcastic, and clever – at first was hostile towards Steven, but that passionate annoyance later evolved into teasing, affectionate companionship.—
Sarah John,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
McIlroy got the last laugh, though.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Both donning their iconic dark sunglasses at the indoor event, the pair shared a hug and a laugh backstage.—
Andrew McGowan,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
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
Noun
-
His seamless banter throughout the night provided laughs and comfort for fans.—
Kristen Wisneski,
Billboard,
29 Sep. 2025
-
But the banter took a darker turn as the match moved into the afternoon.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The action flows, the badinage is fast and fun.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Aug. 2025
-
Each bus has a pair of hosts, whose badinage is corny but crowd-pleasing.—
Patricia Marx,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Noun
-
At one point, O’Steen was confused by a question, and the resulting back-and-forth was reminiscent of an Abbott and Costello repartee.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Hoffman and Jonsson are both brilliant, vulnerable in their humanity in the face of such unfathomable conditions, but their repartee does seem forced and often maudlin.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Jesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jesting. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share