JEST

jest, joke, jocularity

(noun) activity characterized by good humor

joke, gag, laugh, jest, jape

(noun) 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 his own jest”; “even a schoolboy’s jape is supposed to have some ascertainable point”

joke, jest

(verb) act in a funny or teasing way

joke, jest

(verb) tell a joke; speak humorously; “He often jokes even when he appears serious”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

jest (plural jests)

(archaic) An act performed for amusement; a joke.

(archaic) Someone or something that is ridiculed; the target of a joke.

(obsolete) A deed; an action; a gest.

(obsolete) A mask; a pageant; an interlude.

Synonyms

• (joke): prank, gag, laughingstock, banter, crack, wisecrack, witticism

• See also joke

Verb

jest (third-person singular simple present jests, present participle jesting, simple past and past participle jested)

To tell a joke; to talk in a playful manner; to make fun of something or someone.

Synonyms

• (to joke): banter, kid, mock, tease

Etymology 2

Adverb

jest (not comparable)

(African-American Vernacular, Southern US) Alternative spelling of just

Anagrams

• ESTJ, Jets, jets

Source: Wiktionary


Jest, n. Etym: [OE. jeste, geste, deed, action, story, tale, OF. geste, LL. gesta, orig., exploits, neut. pl. from L. gestus, p. p. of gerere to bear, carry, accomplish, perform; perh. orig., to make to come, bring, and perh. akin to E. come. Cf. Gest a deed, Register, n.]

1. A deed; an action; a gest. [Obs.] The jests or actions of princes. Sir T. Elyot.

2. A mask; a pageant; an interlude. [Obs.] Nares. He promised us, in honor of our guest, To grace our banquet with some pompous jest. Kyd.

3. Something done or said in order to amuse; a joke; a witticism; a jocose or sportive remark or phrase. See Synonyms under Jest, v. i. I must be sad . . . smile at no man's jests. Shak. The Right Honorable gentleman is indebted to his memory for his jests, and to his imagination for his facts. Sheridan.

4. The object of laughter or sport; a laughingstock. Then let me be your jest; I deserve it. Shak. In jest, for mere sport or diversion; not in truth and reality; not in earnest. And given in earnest what I begged in jest. Shak.

– Jest book, a book containing a collection of jests, jokes, and amusing anecdotes; a Joe Miller.

Jest, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Jested; p. pr. & vb. n. Jesting.]

1. To take part in a merrymaking; -- especially, to act in a mask or interlude. [Obs.] Shak.

2. To make merriment by words or actions; to joke; to make light of anything. He jests at scars that never felt a wound. Shak.

Syn.

– To joke; sport; rally.

– To Jest, Joke. One jests in order to make others laugh; one jokes to please himself. A jest is usually at the expense of another, and is often ill-natured; a joke is a sportive sally designed to promote good humor without wounding the feelings of its object. "Jests are, therefore, seldom harmless; jokes frequently allowable. The most serious subject may be degraded by being turned into a jest." Crabb.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 November 2024

THEORETICAL

(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”


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