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jester

American  
[jes-ter] / ˈdʒɛs tər /

noun

  1. a person who is given to witticisms, jokes, and pranks.

  2. a professional fool or clown, especially at a medieval court.

jester British  
/ ˈdʒɛstə /

noun

  1. a professional clown employed by a king or nobleman, esp at courts during the Middle Ages

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of jester

First recorded in 1325–75, jester is from the Middle English word gester. See gest, -er 1

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.

Working on a serious documentary didn’t stop Jackson from his activities as a harsh and relentless internet jester.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 14, 2025

Away from the from springtime pastels and prints, Alessandro Michele's debut couture collection was full of clashing colours and harlequin print fit for a court jester.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2025

Can imperfect sidekicks and second-fiddlers like Camelot’s court jester and Sir Palomides, the Saracen knight, save the realm when Arthur reveals himself as all too mortal?

From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024

And for years, one of my sisters and I have referred to each other as Salacious Crumb, Jabba the Hutt’s shrill-voiced and crusty little jester, whenever one of us looks particularly unseemly.

From Salon • May 4, 2024

The job at North High was not going to be offered to a court jester.

From "Schooled" by Gordon Korman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.