JESTS Synonyms: 140 Similar and Opposite Words

jests 1 of 2

noun

plural of jest

as in jokes

something said or done to cause laughter laughed politely at his feeble jest about his pet mosquito

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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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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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jests

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of jest

as in quips

to make jokes when I asked my sister for a loan, she laughingly replied, "Surely you jest!"

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of jests

Noun

Be sure that your jests don’t become insults! — Usa Today, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for jests

Noun

First, of course, there’s the business impact — the loss of authorship, credit, and revenue from accounts farming their jokes for clicks and a quick buck.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
Before there is comedy or jokes, the audience must care about the characters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of jokes

Noun

The Muskego Police Department is warning Muskego High School students about consequences of pranks causing damage after the department received over 20 complaints in less than two weeks.

— Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 22 Sep. 2026
The set includes a variety of items, including a new book entitled Slappy’s Book of Pranks, which includes directions for over 20 different pranks, Slappy trivia, a history of pranking, jokes and an introduction by Stine himself.

— Carly Tagen-Dye, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of pranks

Noun

But acknowledging a property’s cheesy elements isn’t the same as generating consistent laughs from the situation.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Among the biggest laughs of the ceremony came during Friml’s take on an awards-show in memoriam.

— Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of laughs

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jesting

jests

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Style

“Jests.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/jests. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of jests

noun

verb

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