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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
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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
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
Noun
  • Wild Turkey Rare Breed The cask strength classic that pulls no punches This one’s not for the faint of heart, but that’s the fun of it.
    Emily Price, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
  • Directed by Chris Columbus, the murder mystery stars Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Ben Kingsley and Celia Imrie as four irrepressible retirees — Elizabeth (Mirren), Ron (Brosnan), Ibrahim (Kingsley) and Joyce (Imrie) — who spend their time solving cold case murders for fun.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Think light beer, string lights, pizza, a cake with a callback to a joke from the show on it.
    Kelly Stout, Rolling Stone, 25 May 2025
  • Sarah Sherman became the butt of a joke in Johansson's musical monologue, with the MCU alum suggesting Sherman had been axed from the show without her knowledge.
    Shania Russell, EW.com, 25 May 2025
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
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
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
Noun
  • Turner Sports first acquired an NBA package in 1984, and games were on TNT since the network launched in 1988.
    Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 1 June 2025
  • With each game, she’s added more Knicksy sartorial touches.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 June 2025
Noun
  • The secret trick of reconciliation is that Congress gets a chance to add tweaks to the budget — to reconcile it — twice every federal fiscal year.
    Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 30 May 2025
  • The trick was to keep them distant and yet connected, and find ways to not make the audience wait to see their chemistry, because the John Corbett and Sarah Jessica Parker chemistry is undeniable and a gift.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 29 May 2025
Noun
  • Add-ons include coverage for rental vehicles, pets, adventure sports and wedding cancellations Cancel For Any Reason coverage Add-on to Preferred and Deluxe plans reimbursing 50% of trip costs if purchased within 15 days of initial deposit.
    Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 1 June 2025
  • Not one single boy should ever be in girls' sports.
    James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Jest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jest. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.

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