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
-
Of course, not all jokes can be so easily divided into these categories.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Plus, under the watchful eyes of veteran host Casey Wilson and newbie Andrew Rannells, the jokes never stop in the tent, as seen in another clip.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Alumni hold debates and students from each school often pull pranks on the other.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The comedy horror film revolves around Brian (Tyler Perry) forbidding his daughter Tiffany (Diamond White) from attending a frat party, which sets off a string of Halloween pranks.—
Ariana Quihuiz,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Reporters let out a few more laughs before trying to move on to questions about Sunday’s game, but McDaniel interrupted to explain his joke even further.—
Sean Neumann,
PEOPLE,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Prefer some laughs instead before Christmas?—
Caitlin White,
Variety,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jests. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.
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