Link Centre Dictionary

jest

UK/d͡ʒɛst/ US/d͡ʒiːst/ uncommon archaic obsolete
noun (2) verb (2)

noun

1.

a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter

  • “he told a very funny joke”
  • “he knows a million gags”
  • “thanks for the laugh”
  • “he laughed unpleasantly at hisown jest”
  • “even a schoolboy”
Synonyms
2.

verb

1.

tell a joke; speak humorously

  • “He often jokes even when he appears serious”
Synonyms
2.

act in a funny or teasing way

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English geste (“idle tale”), from Old French geste (“acts, exploits”), from Latin gesta (“acts, deeds”). Doublet of gest.

Phrases

  • in jest

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.