jest

[ jest ]

noun

1. a joke or witty remark; witticism.

   Synonyms: quip

2. a bantering remark; a piece of good-natured ridicule; taunt.

   Synonyms: gibe, jape

3. sport or fun:

   to speak half in jest, half in earnest.

4. the object of laughter, sport, or mockery; laughing-stock.

   Synonyms: butt

5. Obsolete. an exploit. Compare gest.

verb (used without object)

1. to speak in a playful, humorous, or facetious way; joke.
2. to speak or act in mere sport, rather than in earnest; trifle (often followed by with ):

   Please don't jest with me.

3. to utter derisive speeches; gibe or scoff.

verb (used with object)

1. to deride or joke at; banter.

jest

/ dʒɛst /

noun

1. something done or said for amusement; joke
2. a frivolous mood or attitude; playfulness; fun

   to act in jest

3. a jeer or taunt
4. an object of derision; laughing stock; butt

verb

1. to act or speak in an amusing, teasing, or frivolous way; joke
2. to make fun of (a person or thing); scoff or mock

Derived Forms

• ˈjestingly, adverb
• ˈjesting, adjectivenoun
• ˈjestful, adjective

Other Words From

• jestful adjective
• jesting·ly adverb
• outjest verb (used with object)
• un·jesting adjective
• un·jesting·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of jest¹

1250–1300; Middle English; variant spelling of gest

Word History and Origins

Origin of jest¹

C13: variant of gest

Synonym Study

See joke.

Example Sentences

I was told last week by Jason Miller, partly in jest, that I shouldn’t worry that there were plenty of people in front of me in line who will be imprisoned.

From Salon

Councilmember Nithya Raman, who endorsed Jurado and voted against a package of police raises last year, called the comment “unfortunate” but said she thinks it was “made in jest.”

From Los Angeles Times

When asked by Politico what exactly Trump meant by that, a campaign official claimed that he was “clearly just floating it in jest.”

From Salon

“We wanted to see what a ‘real’ cult meeting was like,” she said, I think in jest.

From BBC

A few brief, halfhearted laughs gave way to stale air, where the jest hung heavily as the group took mental stock of my presence.

From Salon