1
as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter
laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito
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2
as in pranks
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
putting a mouse in her desk drawer was intended to be a harmless jest
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3
as in fools
a person or thing that is made fun of
his outlandish costumes made him the jest of the town
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in quips
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
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Recent Examples of jests
Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
Be sure that your jests don’t become insults!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jests
Noun
-
The jokes landed because the admiration underneath them was unmistakable.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 May 2026
-
Last week’s The Roast of Kevin Hart remains at #2 as clips of the jokes keep going viral on social media.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Shortly after midnight on May 25, prosecutors said the same group of teens were driving around San Mateo pulling pranks on classmates from Hillsdale High School.—
Tim Fang,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
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This send-off mixes new stunts with archival footage, promising the usual outlandish pranks and blunt-force impacts to sensitive bodily regions.—
Tracy Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The tech is terrifying, but it’s treated matter-of-factly, played for barked laughs.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
How important to you is comedy and releasing tension with laughs?—
Joshua Rothkopf,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jests. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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