jest
nounverbadverbattested in dialogue
- //d͡ʒɛst//
- //d͡ʒiːst//
- //d͡ʒɛːst//
To tell a joke; to talk in a playful manner; to make fun of something or someone.
noun
- 1
archaicAn act performed for amusement; a joke.
I made that comment in jest; it wasn't serious.
Alas poore Yorick, I knew him Horatio, a fellow of infinite Ieſt; […]
- 2
archaicSomeone or something that is ridiculed; the target of a joke.
Your majesty, stop him before he makes you the jest of the court.
Why then make ſport at me, then let me be your ieſt, / I deſerue it[…]
- 3
obsoleteA deed; an action; a gest.
the jests or actions of princes
- 4
obsoleteA mask; a pageant; an interlude.
He promised us, in honour of our guest, / To grace our banquet with some pompous jest.
Etymology
From Middle English geste (“idle tale”), from Old French geste (“acts, exploits”), from Latin gesta (“acts, deeds”). Doublet of gest.
verb
- 1
To tell a joke; to talk in a playful manner; to make fun of something or someone.
Surely you jest!
adverb
- 1
Variant of justPronunciation spelling of just.
So I jest called out to know what was up, and found it was Miss Vanholte's cowboys, who had been forced into the store by them rascally ruffins.
"Jest like the Injian puzzle-boxes, ain't they?" said Dan, as the one boat dropped into the other.
‘I hope es young Dick ’grees to take your ship out ag’in, Peter. But if he don’t, I reckon mebbe I told you a lie about that license o’ mine. I jest wanted to surprise him arter we got to sea, thet’s all. You don’t ’magine a feller es young Dick teached ’d fail, do you?’
Forms
- plural
- jests
- past tense
- jested
- past participle
- jested
- present participle
- jesting
- third person singular
- jests
jest · To tell a joke; to talk in a playful manner; to make fun of something or someone.
Jesus · Jesus of Nazareth, a first-century Jewish religious preacher…jet · A collimated stream, spurt or flow of liquid or gas from a…Jet · A town in Oklahoma.