jest
Americannoun
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jests
plural
verb (used without object)
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jests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
jested,
past participle, past
-
jesting
present participle
-
to speak in a playful, humorous, or facetious way; joke.
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to speak or act in mere sport, rather than in earnest; trifle (often followed bywith ).
Please don't jest with me.
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to utter derisive speeches; gibe or scoff.
verb (used with object)
-
jests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
jested,
past participle, past
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jesting
present participle
noun
-
something done or said for amusement; joke
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a frivolous mood or attitude; playfulness; fun
to act in jest
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a jeer or taunt
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an object of derision; laughing stock; butt
verb
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to act or speak in an amusing, teasing, or frivolous way; joke
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to make fun of (a person or thing); scoff or mock
Usage
What does jest mean? A jest is a joke, a witty remark, or some kind of action intended to be funny. When used as a noun, jest can also mean a taunt or jeer, as in Don’t allow his jests to upset you. Jest can also be used as a verb meaning to joke around or do something intended to be funny, as in I know you like to jest, but try to be serious this one time. The word is most commonly used in the phrase in jest, meaning as a joke, as in I said that in jest—please don’t take it seriously. Claiming to have said something in jest is often seen as an excuse intended to avoid responsibility for having offended someone with one’s comments. In fact, there is even an expression that relates to this: “Many a true word is spoken in jest.” This means that when people say they are “only joking” about something, they are probably saying what they really mean. Example: My comments were offered in jest, but I can understand how they could have offended some people.
Synonym Usage
See joke.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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outjestverb (used with object)
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jestfuladjective
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jestingadjective
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unjestingadjective
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jestinglyadverb
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unjestinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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jestsimple
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jestssimple
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have jestedperfect
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has jestedperfect
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am jestingprogressive
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are jestingprogressive
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is jestingprogressive
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have been jestingperfect progressive
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has been jestingperfect progressive
Past
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jestedsimple
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had jestedperfect
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was jestingprogressive
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were jestingprogressive
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had been jestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of jest
1250–1300; Middle English; variant spelling of gest
Explanation
A jest is a joke. Are you a playful prankster? A jocular jokester? A witty wisecracker? Then you are definitely well versed in the art of the jest. To jest means to banter and joke in a playful way — like a "court jester," whose job it was in medieval times to entertain the royal court with funny stories. Today when we jest we generally joke around or gently tease. The noun's meaning evolved over time, from "idle tale" to "mocking speech," and finally to "joke."
Vocabulary lists containing jest
Tricky Terms for April Fool's Day
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Instead of "Said": Words for Upbeat Banter
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act II
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
People will tell you who they are regardless, even and especially in jest.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026
Even if in jest, prosecutors said, the conversation suggested Sangha “does not appreciate the severity of her offenses, and instead sees her crimes as a potential future revenue stream.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026
I was a fresh-faced high school senior, living out the prime of my teenage youth in an increasingly progressive world where fundamentalist doomsday prophecies were lobbed around in jest.
From Salon ● Dec. 21, 2025
To Mr. Drout, this is “both a light jest and a deeper comment by Tolkien about the ways that descriptions evolve into proper names.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 12, 2025
‘All what I jest said, thet was s’posed to be the Devil a-talkin’.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
Keyes jests: "Manhattan is no place for the weak or the young. You need a bucket of B vitamins to live there!"
From BBC ● May 26, 2024
“Eliahna was a master of jests and loved making people laugh.”
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2022
Though past sets leaned on dog-eating jests, she is constantly reworking her sets to “punch up, not punch down.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2022
Jesse Jan Driessen jests that a big part of coping with distance in a relationship has been accepting that being in lockdown means a lot of mundane conversation.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 14, 2021
Beneath the trees, warhorses whickered softly and pawed at the moist, leafy ground, while men made nervous jests in hushed voices.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
Asked where he will play next week, Guehi jested: "Who knows? Maybe up front. We'll see."
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Comedians Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler memorably jested at Clooney's legal and ethical accomplishments being overshadowed by her husband's celebrity status at the 2015 Golden Globes awards.
From Salon ● May 20, 2024
Speaker Rep. Joanna McClinton, a Democrat from Philadelphia County, jested, “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate” - echoing the lyrics of Swift’s track “Shake It Off.”
From Washington Times ● Dec. 14, 2023
Speaker Rep. Joanna McClinton, a Democrat from Philadelphia County, jested, “Haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate” — echoing the lyrics of Swift’s track “Shake It Off.”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 13, 2023
"Hope that's not weasel soup," he jested, Roose Bolton was seated by the hearth reading from a thick leatherbound book when she entered.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Oliver opened Sunday night's episode of "Last Week Tonight" by briefly jesting about a few of the many punchy U.S. news headlines in the past week.
From Salon ● May 13, 2024
Popular Nigerian pastor Jimmy Odukoya has also joined the jesting by commending Bafana Bafana for their performance despite their defeat, but telling the South African players: "You need water."
From BBC ● Feb. 8, 2024
“Some of you may know me as Kelly Bundy from ‘Married With Children,’” she continued, jesting that the audience didn’t need to applaud every time she does something.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 15, 2024
If all this jesting and jousting about historically documented misogyny, maternal misery and decapitation isn’t your goblet of grog after a while, “Six” smartly pivots in the final wife’s number, “I Don’t Need Your Love.”
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
Robert had been jesting with Jon and old Lord Hunter as the prince circled the field after unhorsing Ser Barristan in the final tilt to claim the champion's crown.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
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