1
as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter
laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito
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2
as in pranks
a playful or mischievous act intended as a joke
putting a mouse in her desk drawer was intended to be a harmless jest
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3
as in fools
a person or thing that is made fun of
his outlandish costumes made him the jest of the town
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in quips
to make jokes
when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"
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Recent Examples of jests
Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
Be sure that your jests don’t become insults!
—Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for jests
Noun
-
Gross-out jokes don’t always play well for a broad crowd that often includes families and kids.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Melania also recently made headlines in a new way when distributor Amazon MGM asked a theater in Oregon to stop screening the film due to some viral jokes on its marquee.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Reba McEntire is a survivor — of six years of pranks!—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This is an utterly throwaway slice of college comedy, rather more concerned with sports, pranks, and teen/20-something romance than getting lost on the final frontier.—
Richard Edwards,
Space.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His teams won five College World Series titles — three at Fullerton and two at Texas — and left an enduring impact of triumph with some stumbles and plenty of laughs along the way.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
-
There are plenty of laughs along the way, but the most powerful moment lands midway through the show.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Jests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jests. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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