jest 1 of 2

noun

ˈjest How to pronounce jest (audio)
Definition of jestnext
1
as in fun
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously you should know that our teasing was done entirely in jest

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joke
something said or done to cause laughter laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in prank
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke putting a mouse in her desk drawer was intended to be a harmless jest

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in fool
a person or thing that is made fun of his outlandish costumes made him the jest of the town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

jest

2 of 2

verb

as in to joke
to make jokes when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun jest differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of jest are fun, game, play, and sport. While all these words mean "action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter," jest implies lack of earnestness and may suggest a hoaxing or teasing.

hurt by remarks said only in jest

In what contexts can fun take the place of jest?

Although the words fun and jest have much in common, fun usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose.

played cards just for fun

How are the words game and sport related as synonyms of jest?

Game is close to sport, and often stresses mischievous or malicious fun.

made game of their poor relations

When is it sensible to use play instead of jest?

The words play and jest can be used in similar contexts, but play stresses the opposition to earnest without implying any malice or mischief.

pretended to strangle his brother in play

When could sport be used to replace jest?

The words sport and jest are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sport applies especially to the arousing of laughter against someone.

teasing begun in sport led to anger

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of jest
Noun
More News: William Byron Just Pulled Off a Daytona 500 Feat Only Four Others Have Speaking about the incident in an interview, Byron seemed amused by the clever digital jest. —Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 22 Feb. 2025 However, Chef Karina Orozco is quick to point out the fun cannabis or pot references are all in jest. —Regina Elling, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
The two also jested about their pet peeves about each other. —Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2023 This led him to jest about a personal request from viewers. —Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 2 July 2023 See All Example Sentences for jest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jest
  1. fun
  2. joke
  3. prank
  4. play
  5. laugh
  6. game
  7. trick
  8. sport
Noun
  • And Kelce and Mahomes will take part in the Big Slick fun, which begins Thursday night.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2025
  • Watch Brazilian nun show off beatboxing skills 'Beautiful to see' Soon after the beats and the dancing started flowing, one of the hosts joined in on the fun.
    — Taylor Ardrey, USA Today, 29 May 2025
Definition of fun
Noun
  • The vibes are confusing, the itinerary is unclear, and Drew—ever the queen of chaos—jokes that naked bears might be involved.
    — Shelby Stewart, Essence, 25 May 2025
  • Here’s why and what happened CT proposal noted halfway across globe and becomes butt of jokes.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
Definition of joke
Noun
  • The couple, who have four kids, loves sharing their love on TikTok, so after the prank, Abbie decided to compile some of the photos together and post them.
    — Jordan Greene, People.com, 26 May 2025
  • Jax dialed the number to prank call Sanders during the draft.
    — Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 22 May 2025
Definition of prank
Noun
  • Receiver Ladd McConkey made the splash play of the day down the left sideline during the third-down period.
    — Daniel Popper, New York Times, 28 May 2025
  • Vientos is better able to anticipate plays now and his throws are more accurate.
    — Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 May 2025
Definition of play
Noun
  • Some of it comes from the ether… from the ether going after Ethan [laughs].
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 25 May 2025
  • Customers come and go, street merchants stop in to peddle their wares and the hair braiders bicker over clients, laugh, dance, watch African soap operas on TV and work until their fingers bleed.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2025
Definition of laugh
Noun
  • An’s game of choice, Apex Legends, is a particularly taxing one.
    — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 20 May 2025
  • There are seven such tilts this year, with all but the Brazil game set to air on NFL Network.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 20 May 2025
Definition of game
Noun
  • Rea allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings, improving to 4-0 with another no-flash performance that did the trick.
    — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 19 May 2025
  • Label tricks, regional cues and color considerations for better picking at the wine shop.
    — Rachel King, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
Definition of trick
Noun
  • Those teams sit on Mt. Olympus in South Florida sports.
    — Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025
  • Your lawmakers have commanded all good citizens to engage in this hellish sport.
    — Liz Tracey, JSTOR Daily, 19 May 2025
Definition of sport

Browse Nearby Words

jerry-rigged
jest
jested
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Cite this Entry

“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

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