jest

American  

[jest] / dʒɛst /

noun

• jests
  plural

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.

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verb (used without object)

• jests,
  present (3rd person singular)
• jested,
  past participle,  past
• jesting
  present participle

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 bywith ).

   Please don't jest with me.

3. to utter derisive speeches; gibe or scoff.

verb (used with object)

• jests,
  present (3rd person singular)
• jested,
  past participle,  past
• jesting
  present participle

1. to deride or joke at; banter.

jest British  

/ 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

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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

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

• outjest
  verb (used with object)
• jestful
  adjective
• jesting
  adjective
• unjesting
  adjective
• jestingly
  adverb
• unjestingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• jests
  plural

Participles

• jesting
  present
• jested
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• jest
  simple
• jests
  simple
• have jested
  perfect
• has jested
  perfect
• am jesting
  progressive
• are jesting
  progressive
• is jesting
  progressive
• have been jesting
  perfect progressive
• has been jesting
  perfect progressive

Past

• jested
  simple
• had jested
  perfect
• was jesting
  progressive
• were jesting
  progressive
• had been jesting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will jest
  simple
• will have jested
  perfect
• will be jesting
  progressive
• will have been jesting
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of jest

1250–1300; Middle English; variant spelling of gest

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jest jests jested jesting

The surly, brilliant, hip, fashionable Davis aspired to many things, but sainthood, even in jest, was not one of them.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026

People will tell you who they are regardless, even and especially in jest.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 8, 2026

He even managed to get a more current jest in, teasing the group of young cadets with a “six-seven” joke about making good choices.

From Salon ● May 24, 2026

It is said in jest, but Hill fancies the chase.

From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025

You jest real tired and need to rest.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

"He's posing," the spider-keeper jests as it rears up on its back legs.

From BBC ● May 16, 2025

“Eliahna was a master of jests and loved making people laugh.”

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2022

Trying to explain the difference between Unitarians and Universalists, who did not merge until 1961, Dana jests: “Suffice it to say that Ralph Waldo Emerson was a Unitarian and P.T. Barnum a Universalist.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 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

I rose and took his plate, little entertained with jests on matters of such gravity.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson

“I got friends that don’t play anymore,” Mack jested.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026

Captain Andy Robertson jested his team-mate was just seeking attention, not that he'd be short of it.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

Released exclusively to his Instagram page, Lamar in "6:16 in LA" jested at Drake's tendency to title his tracks after times and places.

From Salon ● May 7, 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

The suitors were now watching him, and some jested among themselves: “A bow lover!”

From "The Odyssey" by Homer

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

When the Komische Oper Berlin schedules a season of music dramas, it often delights in making sure that repertory war horses alternate with modernist works and jesting rarities.

From New York Times ● Apr. 8, 2021

“You played an infant game and crawled within it. Do you recall this? I, jesting, asked you whether you were not apprehensive that it might bite you. You answered me, ‘Do not be afraid, Mother.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

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