1
as in fun
an attitude or manner not to be taken seriously
you should know that our teasing was done entirely in jest
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 to joke
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
It's done in jest, making fun of the films that came before it that have exhibited genuine concern for a woman's future past her third decade on this planet.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 2025
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
Noun
Teams seemingly snatched valuable free agents left and right while the Dolphins’ inactivity became a point of jest for national pundits like Pat McAfee.
—C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 10 Mar. 2025
It's done in jest, making fun of the films that came before it that have exhibited genuine concern for a woman's future past her third decade on this planet.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 7 Mar. 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
Noun
-
Make fun of the obsessiveness of Method Acting all you like, but Phoenix’s performance in Eddington is unlike any other in his career.—
Scott Phillips,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
That's not long enough to earn the cachet of other performance sub-brands, like BMW's M or Mercedes-Benz's AMG, but N has certainly developed a reputation for fun, attainable, and powder-blue cars.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
The Republican governor even poked a light joke at the energy surrounding the teams during his opening remarks.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
-
Sriram peppers her debut with offbeat characters, sometimes giving them names that are jokes in and of themselves.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The marijuana photos that appeared this weekend when people googled Taylor Police Department were likely a prank that, for a moment, had some in the community snickering, including the deputy chief.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
14 July 2025
-
What starts as a simple favor to keep her great-niece turns into a wild Halloween night filled with jump scares and pranks — but as usual, nothing frightens her more than bad manners and disrespect. Boo 2!—
Jane LaCroix,
People.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Amenities: Free on-site parking, restaurant, rooftop bar, gym, pool and kid’s pool, beach access, dedicated kid’s play area Editor’s tip: Don’t miss the sourdough breads and pastries baked fresh every morning courtesy of the hotel’s new bakery in town, Red Jane.—
Monica Mendal,
Vogue,
15 July 2025
-
That was followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) by Washington D.C., which offers 43 restaurants to choose from, one play area, five breastfeeding stations, and rentable strollers.—
Opheli Garcia Lawler,
Travel + Leisure,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
The two had several tough plays against one another, and shared plenty of laughs on the court.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
-
During the day out, the two took a dip in the pool and appeared to share laughs throughout the day.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Players can be added or subtracted between now and the game, but that doesn't mean some players weren't snubbed from the original rosters.—
Drew VonScio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
The Padres began spring training believing Darvish would join Michael King and Dylan Cease atop a rotation that could help win plentiful games in the regular season and successfully navigate postseason series.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Did any of those tips and tricks come in handy here?—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
5 July 2025
-
Truth is, finding universal tips and tricks for keeping your cortisol levels stable first thing in the morning and when leaving the house is tough.—
Ana Morales,
Vogue,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
As one of the most iconic franchises in all of sports, the Dallas Cowboys have deep roots in the Texas community.—
Kevin McCormick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
-
The settlement also does away with the NCAA’s long-standing scholarship limits, replacing them with roster limits for each sport — though schools may exceed those limits to keep current players on the roster until their eligibility runs out.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share