jest
/dʒest/ (bre, ipa) · /dʒest/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈjest/ (ame, mw)
jest — 名詞
- jestsingular
- jestsplural
1. something you say or do that is meant to amuse others, especially a playful or t
玩笑
為逗人發笑而說的話或做的事
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.
Diego 說主管穿粉紅西裝的那句話只是個無傷大雅的玩笑，惹得大家都笑了起來。
countable noun: a + [adjective] + jest
The old man's jests about forgetting his own name amused the children at the dinner table.
老人關於自己忘記名字的玩笑話，逗樂了餐桌旁的孩子們。
plural form: jests + about + noun phrase
What started as a jest between Lucia and her roommate soon turned into a real argument.
Lucia 和室友之間本來只是個玩笑，後來卻演變成了真正的爭吵。
The audience smiled politely at the speaker's jest, though few actually found it funny.
聽眾對演講者的玩笑禮貌地笑了笑，但其實沒幾個人覺得有趣。
A careless jest about a colleague's accent can create an uncomfortable atmosphere at work.
對同事的口音開一個不經思考的玩笑，可能會讓辦公室氣氛變得很尷尬。
- 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
戲言
並非認真，僅為取樂
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.
對 Eva 廚藝的那句評論只是戲言，但她還是因此感到難過。
phrase: in jest
Although Vikram's words sounded harsh, he assured everyone he had spoken only in jest.
Vikram 的話雖然聽起來刺耳，但他向眾人保證那只是開玩笑的。
Boris threw a pretend punch at his friend, and everyone knew it was in jest.
Boris 假裝朝朋友揮了一拳，大家都明白那是在鬧著玩。
Rosa told Hassan his new haircut looked odd in jest — he laughed and finished dinner.
Rosa 開玩笑地對 Hassan 說他的新髮型看起來很奇怪——他笑一笑就把晚餐吃完了。
- 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 — 動詞
- 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
說笑
說有趣的話使人發笑
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.
那位政治人物拿自己的錯誤說笑，讓聽眾感覺輕鬆了許多。
jest + about + noun phrase
When Wen asked if she had won the lottery, Minh jested that her bank account suggested otherwise.
Wen 問 Minh 是否中了樂透，Minh 開玩笑說，她的銀行戶頭可不是這麼說的。
jest + that-clause
The teacher jested with the students about how much homework they would receive over the holiday.
老師跟學生開玩笑說，假期裡他們的功課會有多少。
Suki knew her uncle was only jesting when he threatened to eat all the dessert by himself.
Suki 知道叔叔說要一個人吃掉所有甜點只是在開玩笑。
Oluwaseun jested that the piles of paperwork on his desk might soon reach the ceiling.
Oluwaseun 開玩笑說，他桌上那堆文件可能很快就會堆到天花板了。
- 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.