jest 1 of 2

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
3
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

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
As for Butler wearing a mask in both jest and solidarity, Jovic, 21, smiled and had fun with the moment. Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 16 Nov. 2024 Ruining an otherwise great moment with an awkward comment or inappropriate jest is something many people can relate to — and has since become a viral TikTok trend. Sara Belcher, People.com, 26 Oct. 2024
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
  • So sit back, enjoy the issue and, above all: Have fun.
    James Fallon, WWD, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The boys eventually pack up, move to Maine with their Aunt Ida (Sara Levy) and Uncle Chip (Perkins in dirtbag uncle mode and having fun with it), and throw the monkey down the aforementioned well.
    Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • While the bit was planned, some questioned whether she had been let in on the joke.
    Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 17 Feb. 2025
  • His angle: joke about the very specific and very absurd elements of cycling, snowboarding, and getting outdoors.
    Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • But one celebrity sneakily knows the details of every prank and is faking their reactions.
    Alex Ritman, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The actor added that Steven Spielberg — who directed Temple of Doom and served as a writer and an executive producer on The Goonies — set up an elaborate prank in anticipation of Ford's visit.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Cameron Williams had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Miami (13-13, 3-12), which was 0-for-16 from 3-point range, the second-worst showing from beyond the arc by an ACC team in conference play in the last 20 years.
    Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 21 Feb. 2025
  • State of play: This week, U.S. and Russian officials met in Saudi Arabia to discuss ending the war in Ukraine and preparing for a meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
    Monica Eng, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The middle-school laughs made Isaiah Stewart feel uneasy.
    Hunter Patterson, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
  • The biggest laughs were earned by Murphy, who did an impression of Morgan, while Morgan played a man named Darius and Jones played a woman named Shanice.
    Selome Hailu, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Forward/center Dwight Powell and Caleb Martin were out for their most recent game, a blowout loss on Sunday at Golden State.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Feb. 2025
  • If Leeds had lost both of these games, as looked distinctly possible, Sheffield United would now be league leaders on 73 points.
    Beren Cross, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • And our favorite trick is shopping the Better Homes & Gardens Juliet bedroom furniture line at Walmart.
    Carly Totten, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Either way, spending at least a few hours by the pool at Marina Inn at Grande Dunes or beachside at Island Vista Resort—two of the best hotels in Myrtle Beach—should do the trick.
    Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Learfield, which manages sports sponsorships for over 160 universities and licensing agreements for nearly 800 colleges, says that 93 of its schools had licensing deals for alcoholic beverages for the first six months of the current fiscal year.
    Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2025
  • While the same political party now controls the White House and both the House and Senate, that was also true from 2017 to 2019 and from 2021 to 2023 when various college sports reforms were proposed to much media fanfare only to stall and then be forgotten.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 24 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 4 Mar. 2025.

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