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
Noun
-
Deborah and Ava have never been closer — and that’s when the jokes start flying.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
29 May 2026
-
And because Bargatze is usually the butt of his own jokes, his mix of aw-shucks relatability and self-deprecation goes down nice and easy.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
After joking, Bruno let his client and her followers know that the exercise was meant to target the core and back muscles.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
23 May 2026
-
Jack White served as the show’s deadpan musical director, cueing music off a boombox and joking with Colbert during the hour-long episode.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Shah’s closest ally (and the person most willing to call Shah on his lies to himself and others) is his cousin Zulfi, a gigantic character who Khan energizes with fast-talking charm, sarcastic asides, and an assessing glare that can cut through anyone’s defenses.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
-
Yet another compared the look to Van Gogh, while others were more than ready to take Bieber up on her presumably sarcastic offer to accept appointments.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
The quest to find the better joke, the stronger laugh—that’s reason enough to keep on living.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
29 May 2026
-
These people had huge laughs Thursday morning over their airport Bloody Marys after realizing their words were treated as if serious.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
29 May 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
-
We were whisked around in golf carts, engaged in happy banter at the bar and felt accommodated when last-minute changes or requests arose.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
The banter between the two hosts is lively.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 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
-
That’s welcome repartee at any age, much less at Fangio’s 67.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
-
The director is clearly in no rush to spin this yarn, which can make the two-hour running time feel sluggish in spots, especially when the non-stop repartee doesn’t always hit its mark.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jesting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jesting. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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