jest
/dʒest/ (bre, ipa) · /dʒest/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈjest/ (ame, mw)
jest — noun
- jestsingular
- jestsplural
1. something you say or do that is meant to amuse others, especially a playful or t
something you say or do that is meant to amuse others, especially a playful or teasing remark that is not intended to be hurtful.
Diego's remark about the boss wearing a pink suit was a harmless jest that made everyone laugh.
countable noun: a + [adjective] + jest
The old man's jests about forgetting his own name amused the children at the dinner table.
plural form: jests + about + noun phrase
What started as a jest between Lucia and her roommate soon turned into a real argument.
The audience smiled politely at the speaker's jest, though few actually found it funny.
A careless jest about a colleague's accent can create an uncomfortable atmosphere at work.
- insult
a remark meant to offend rather than amuse
文法句型
a + jest
jest + about + noun phrase
用法筆記
Countable noun; commonly appears with an adjective before it (harmless jest, careless jest, playful jest). More formal or literary than the everyday word joke.
常見錯誤
2. said or done for amusement rather than with a serious or hurtful purpose — used
said or done for amusement rather than with a serious or hurtful purpose — used especially in the phrase in jest to soften or explain a remark that might seem offensive.
The comment about Eva's cooking was made in jest, but she still felt hurt by it.
phrase: in jest
Although Vikram's words sounded harsh, he assured everyone he had spoken only in jest.
Boris threw a pretend punch at his friend, and everyone knew it was in jest.
Rosa told Hassan his new haircut looked odd in jest — he laughed and finished dinner.
- in earnest
with serious intention rather than for amusement
- seriously
opposite of jokingly
文法句型
in + jest
said/done in jest
用法筆記
Found almost exclusively in the fixed phrase in jest (adverbial use). Not used in other grammatical frames — you would not say 'a jest' to mean 'something said in jest' (that is sense 1). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is a countable noun (a specific remark), while sense 2 is uncountable and describes the spirit or intention behind an action.
常見錯誤
jest — verb
- jestpresent simple I / you / we / they
- jests3rd person singular
- jesting-ing form
- jestedpast simple
1. to say things that are not meant to be taken seriously, in order to make people
to say things that are not meant to be taken seriously, in order to make people laugh or to lighten a tense situation — a more formal or literary alternative to joke.
The politician jested about his own mistakes, which made the audience feel more at ease.
jest + about + noun phrase
When Wen asked if she had won the lottery, Minh jested that her bank account suggested otherwise.
jest + that-clause
The teacher jested with the students about how much homework they would receive over the holiday.
Suki knew her uncle was only jesting when he threatened to eat all the dessert by himself.
Oluwaseun jested that the piles of paperwork on his desk might soon reach the ceiling.
- speak seriously
to say something with genuine intention or gravity
文法句型
jest + about + noun phrase
jest + that-clause
用法筆記
Intransitive — cannot take a direct object. Unlike joke, jest sounds rather formal or literary in modern English. Most Taiwanese learners will encounter it in novels, plays, or historical texts rather than in everyday conversation.