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
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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
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
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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
-
There were the polite claps after good attacks by the Swiss, sarcastic whistles by the Qatari fans after their team again failed to mount a threat.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
13 June 2026
-
When the 10th batter (Dalton Rushing) struck out for the first out of the inning, the diminished number of Pirates fans still on hand gave a sarcastic cheer for their team’s stick-to-itiveness.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Their purpose was partly decorative and partly protective, but the visual joke became unavoidable.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
The fierce woman who always wore black, who could light up a room with her sly jokes and smoky laughter, grew quieter and more fragile after losing her lover.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
Verb
-
The post also included a video of Ron sitting at a dinner table joking about salmon.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
-
While Diana was clearly joking in her letters with Stamp, the former Princess of Wales was famously open about her mental health—which has had a trickle-down effect of her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, being open about theirs.—
Rachel Burchfield,
InStyle,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The fallout of that inquiry—to which Joe and Angela gamely acquiesce—generates its share of laughs, though our amusement comes at a cost.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
19 June 2026
-
There are definitely laughs in Maddie’s Secret, but the point of the movie is almost to get beyond them, to the place where naive hokum could yield moments of inexplicable resonance.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
19 June 2026
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
-
The beer is flowing and there’s been some friendly banter between the two sides.—
Jim Barnes,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2026
-
Before the gaggle of girls swarms her apartment, there’s a sweet moment when Steve drops his daughter off early, and the two divorcees engage in some flirty banter over pizza prep.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
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
Noun
-
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
-
That’s welcome repartee at any age, much less at Fangio’s 67.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jesting. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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